Typhoon Narra causes flooding in southern China, trains suspended

Typhoon Narra triggered severe flooding across southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday, prompting evacuations and the suspension of passenger train services, state-run Global Times reported.

China’s disaster authorities activated a Level 4 national disaster relief response, while the China Meteorological Administration raised its weather emergency response to Level 3.

China operates a four-tier emergency response mechanism, with Level 1 representing the most severe crisis and Level 4 the lowest.

The upgrade to Level 3 for the weather response marks a heightened state of alert, mobilizing broader resources and emergency coordination as storm risks intensify.

The 19th typhoon of the year stalled over the Beibu Gulf, bringing prolonged torrential rain.

Fangchenggang in Guangxi recorded maximum rainfall of 404.9 millimeters (15.9 inches), forcing rescue workers to deploy inflatable boats to evacuate people from inundated areas, including Ningming county.

Multiple passenger train services were suspended through Thursday amid heightened risks of mudslides and flooding.

The severe weather comes during an unusually active typhoon season, with 21 typhoons forming in the western Pacific so far this year, nine above the historical average, driven by prevailing El Nino conditions.