China’s national meteorological centre issued multiple heavy rain warnings in the Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong regions and the northwestern province of Xinjiang from yesterday to today, the official Xinhua news agency said.

It said a yellow alert was issued in parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, indicating a relatively high risk of mountain flooding.

At least 10 railway lines connecting the southern city of Shenzhen with other cities halted operations today due to heavy rainfall, according to Shenzhen railway authorities.

More than 620,000 households in Guangxi lost power in recent days due to rain, state media reported.

Local power supplier had since restored electricity for some 600,000 households as of this morning.

China has a four-tier weather warning system with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Chinese meteorological data show 2024 was the warmest year for the country since comparable records began over six decades ago, the second straight year in which milestones were broken.

Last year’s warmer weather was accompanied by stronger storms and higher rainfall and led to spikes in power consumption in China, the world’s second-largest economy.

State broadcaster CCTV said heavy rain was also expected from today to tomorrow in areas including the far western region of Xinjiang along the Tianshan Mountains.