China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management urgently allocated additional 160 million yuan ($23.58 million) in disaster relief funds to support five regions following prolonged heavy rainfall since mid-May which has caused severe flooding and geological disasters across southern China, while a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, resulted in casualties and property damage, relevant authorities announced on Tuesday.

According to a statement released by the ministries, apart from the previously allocated 120 million yuan in disaster relief funds on May 19, the 110 million yuan from the newly allocated 160 million yuan in central government natural disaster relief funds will be used to support flood control and disaster relief efforts in four provincial-level regions including Anhui, Hunan, Chongqing, and Guizhou. The funds will focus on risk removal, emergency rescue, evacuation and resettlement of affected residents, and other efforts to effectively safeguard people’s lives and property, according to the statement.

The remaining 50 million yuan will support earthquake relief efforts in Guangxi, including aid for affected residents and repairs to damaged or collapsed homes, to help restore normal life and production in the disaster-hit areas, the statement said.

Monitoring data from the National Climate Centre under China Meteorological Administration showed that since the start of the flood season (April 1 to May 22), the national average precipitation reached 110.1 millimeters, 18.6 percent higher than the average for the same period in previous years. Meanwhile, statistics from the National Meteorological Information Centre showed that during the same period, 492 weather stations across the country recorded daily precipitation exceeding historical records, while 448 weather stations recorded hourly precipitation surpassing historical records, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Some areas in southern China have been battered by heavy rain and flooding, with frequent occurrences of severe convective weather such as short-term intense rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds, which have affected a wide area and caused significant disruption, chinanews.com.cn reported.

The current round of heavy rainfall is being driven by warm and humid air currents. As the edge of the subtropical high-pressure system remains positioned over northern Jiangnan region, strong warm and moist airflow has continuously been transported to areas including Chongqing, Jianghan, Jianghuai, and northern Jiangnan, CCTV reported on Tuesday, citing China Meteorological Administration analyst Sun Qianqian.

Many places including Chongqing, Hubei, and Anhui experienced severe rainstorms and even extraordinarily heavy rainfall, with downpours occurring in short, intense bursts. In Guankouwan in Chongqing’s Yongchuan district, short-term torrential rainfall lasted for five consecutive hours in the early hours of Sunday, with the maximum hourly rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters. Nearly 300 millimeters of extremely heavy rainfall was recorded within just five hours, placing enormous pressure on drainage systems and soil stability, increasing disaster risks, CCTV reported.

Meteorologists warned that although a southward-moving cold front is expected to shift the rain belt, parts of Chongqing, Hubei, Anhui, and Hunan are still expected to face heavy rainfall and increased risks of landslides, collapses, and other geological disasters due to saturated soil conditions resulting from continuous rainfall in recent days, per CCTV.