Severe rainstorms hit Guangzhou last night lasting through until this morning, knocking out the city's Metro Line 13, flooding key roads, garages and even homes in Huangpu and Zengcheng districts, where schools have been suspended for the day.

Two traffic policemen help a school kid to go through a low-lying area with flood water. (Photo: Guangzhou Traffic Police)

According to Guangzhou Weather, the whole city (with the exception of Nansha district) saw downpours between 8pm last night and 7am this morning, with torrential rain and gale force winds battering Huangpu and Zengcheng. These two districts issued a red weather warning in the early hours of the morning. Red represents the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system.

Guanhu Station flooded following the rainstorms in Guangzhou. (Screenshot of Guangzhou Metro's official Weibo account)

According to the statements released by Guangzhou Metro's official Weibo account this morning, Line 13 has been suspended due to its Guanhu Station in Zengcheng being heavily flooded by rainwater, influencing people's rush hour commute. Shuttle buses have been arranged to pick up passengers at the stations between Yuzhu and Nangang on the line.

Free disposable raincoats are also available at the metro stations, and passengers who need one can contact the staff.

Metro staff are working hard to drain off water outside of the Guanhu Station. (Screenshot of Guangzhou Metro's official Weibo account)

As of posting, Line 13 still hasn't restored normal operations.

Some netizens posted photos of their garages or homes under water this morning on social media platforms WeChat and Weibo.

A traffic policewoman lends a senior resident a hand while going through a flooded low-lying area. (Photo: Guangzhou Traffic Police)

Schools in both Huangpu and Zengcheng are closed today due to the red alert, including nurseries, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools

As a result of the heavy rainfall, the city's 164 bus lines have adjusted their running routes to bypass low-lying areas.

Guangzhou Traffic Police have updated a list of roads that have been paralyzed by the rainstorms on its official Weibo account. Several exits for major expressways have been closed to traffic due to flooding, including Xintang and Luogang exits for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway as well as the Yonghe exit on the Guangzhou-Huizhou Expressway. The torrential rain also caused traffic jams on a dozen key roads in the two heavily affected districts, including Guangyuan Expressway and Kaichuang Avenue.

The city will see scattered thundery showers over this weekend (May 23rd-24th), with heavy rainfall forecasted again on next Monday and Tuesday (May 25th-26th). Temperatures are set to range between 24℃ and 30℃ over the following few days.

The meteorological bureau has warned that residents should never try to move their cars in a flooded garage, and should immediately cut off power if their house is flooded.

Wider Guangdong is at increased risk of landslides and flooding after this heavy rain, please pay extra attention to your environment and any hazards. The province has already seen a lot of rain and the water content in the soil is high. Avoid low lying areas, and hiking wherever possible over the next few days and weeks.

Please note the following advice:

● Never take shelter from rain beneath transformers or aerial wire clusters;

● Avoid tall trees or billboards near power supply lines;

● Exercise caution around telegraph poles and cable-stayed iron wires;

● Do not wade through water if you are not sure whether there could be electric wires which have become submerged.

Author: Monica Liu

Editor: Simon & Steven