Qinzhou Fire and Rescue personnel carry an elderly resident through fast flowing floodwaters in Chengxi community on Monday, one of the hardest hit areas where water surged over roads, reached knee level in some sections, inundated street side shops and left residents trapped at home or along the way. Photo: Qinzhou Fire Department's official WeChat account.

From Sunday morning to Monday, heavy rainfall swept most parts of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with Qinzhou among the hardest hit, according to Guangxi Weather's official WeChat account. Local authorities have responded promptly to the large-scale rainfall, issuing multiple notices and warnings through official channels to urge the public to take precautions and ensure safety. 

According to Guangxi Weather, the maximum accumulated rainfall was recorded in Jiulong town of Qinnan district of Qinzhou at 362.2 mm, classified as exceptionally heavy rain, while the highest hourly rainfall reached 143.3 mm in the same location at 4 am on Monday. 

The Qinzhou meteorological department said that more than 200 mm of rainfall had been recorded from 6 to 8 am on Monday in the urban area of Qinzhou and surrounding towns, which is likely to trigger extremely severe waterlogging, and urged strengthened precautions. 

The Qinzhou meteorological department continued to issue a red warning for rainstorm at 10 am on Monday. Rainfall reached 69 mm in Dongchang, 66 mm in Nali, 59 mm in the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park (CMQIP), and 53 mm in Dafanpo during 9 to 10 am on Monday morning, China Central Television News (CCTV News) reported. 

By noon, the rain cloud cluster was moving southeastward across the southern part of Qinnan district. Some areas in Qinnan district were expected to see 20 to 40 mm of rainfall in the early afternoon, with localized totals exceeding 60 mm, accompanied by lightning and short-period strong winds. The risk of mountain floods, geological disasters, and urban and rural waterlogging remains high, according to CCTV News. 

A release on the official WeChat account of the Qinzhou local authorities notified the public that the Qinzhou municipal flood control department had issued a notice announcing that a Level III flood control emergency response had been activated earlier that morning, urging the CMQIP, all counties and districts, and relevant member units to strengthen flood prevention efforts and ensure safety. 

The Guangxi coastal hydrology center also issued a blue alert for flood in Qinzhou at 10:30 am on Monday, warning that some areas in the Qinnan district might witness floods in the next five to 10 hours. 

According to the official WeChat account of the Qinzhou fire department, the Qinzhou Fire and Rescue team began receiving multiple emergency calls from around 6 am on Monday, reporting residents trapped by flooding. In response, the rescue team promptly activated its emergency rescue mechanism, rapidly dispatched teams to the scene, and carried out evacuations of those trapped.

As of 11 am on Monday, the rescue team had handled 23 emergency calls related to waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall, dispatching 25 fire trucks and 150 personnel, and successfully evacuating 30 trapped residents. Rainfall is still ongoing, and rescue teams remain on the front line.

The Qinzhou Emergency Management Bureau told Global Times in a phone interview on Monday that the rain has stopped in the urban area, and the sun has come out. Floodwaters are gradually receding.

According to Guangxi Weather's official website, as of around 4 pm on Monday, four meteorological warnings remain in effect across different parts of Qinzhou, including alerts for lightning and rainstorms, with no red warnings currently in place and rainfall showing signs of easing. Across Guangxi, only Fangchenggang remains under a red rainstorm warning.