Photo :AI-generated.

August 8, 2025

Andrew Campbell 

South China experienced a final barrage of intense rainfall as the East Asian monsoon reached its peak. The rescue crew rushed between torrential downpours on August 6 to remove debris from mudslides and drain flooded roads, where cars were sinking.

Forecasters predicted further thunderstorms after Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, received the century's second-heaviest August rains. On August 6, it led Baiyun Airport, one of the world's busiest, to cancel 363 flights and postpone 311.

Submerged streets and murky floodwaters presented new health risks. Especially the spread of chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that flourish in stagnant water. Before the recent rains, Guangdong had documented almost 7,000 instances of the virus.

Even as the East Asian monsoon begins to subside, Chinese weather officials warn that the worst may not be over. On August 5, officials from the Ministry of Emergency Management announced that two to three typhoons are predicted to strike.