BEIJING — China’s National Meteorological Center has issued warnings for heavy rain, severe convective weather and dense fog, saying widespread storms are continuing to affect southern regions.
The forecast runs from 8:00 a.m. on Monday to 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, covering parts of eastern southwest China, areas south of the Yangtze River, and south China. Severe convective weather is expected to bring thunderstorms and possible hail.
In some places—especially southeastern Hunan in central China, southern Jiangxi in east China, central and eastern Guizhou in southwest China, and parts of south China’s Guangdong—tornadoes may occur in isolated locations, the warnings said. For people heading out early, dense fog is also expected during the morning hours of Monday; visibility in some locations could drop below 200 meters.
Rain won’t be light either. Regions including northern and eastern Guangxi in south China, northern and western Guangdong, southern Hunan, southern Jiangxi, western Fujian in east China, southern Chongqing in southwest China, and northern Guizhou are set to see moderate to heavy rain. Some areas in northeastern Guangxi and northwestern Guangdong are forecast to experience torrential downpours.
Authorities and residents are being told to take precautions for transportation, agriculture and urban operations. They are also urged to stay alert to secondary disasters such as flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in farmlands. The alert feels especially serious because—well, you can almost smell that wet, metallic air before it starts raining hard, even before you step outside. (Or maybe that’s just me projecting.)
While the main focus is on immediate impacts, the warning also has that “don’t assume it’s over” tone: heavy rain plus fog can slow roads, complicate visibility, and make it harder to respond quickly if waters rise. And if thunderstorms turn, you get the usual cascade—fast changes, sudden problems—though the forecast didn’t say more than what’s already on the bulletin. Still, for southern areas listed in the alert, the safest move is likely to treat Monday’s morning like it could be the worst window, then keep watching even as daylight comes in.