Heavy Rain Hits Hainan, Guangdong; North Basks in Autumn Sun

A tropical depression in the South China Sea drove heavy to torrential rain across Hainan and southern Guangdong on September 12, 2026, while most of northern China enjoyed clear, crisp autumn weather, according to the latest forecasts. The National Meteorological Center warned that persistent downpours in the south could trigger secondary disasters, and that strong winds would affect coastal waters and shipping.

A Tropical Depression Forms Over the South China Sea

The disturbance that had been developing over the South China Sea strengthened into a tropical depression on the morning of September 12. As of 08:00 that day, its center lay at 15.3 degrees north, 109.4 degrees east — about 330 kilometers due south of Sanya, Hainan — with maximum sustained winds of Force 6 (13 meters per second) and a central pressure of 1005 hectopascals, CCTV News reported, citing the National Meteorological Center.

The depression was expected to drift slowly north-northwest at 5 to 10 kilometers per hour and to make landfall along the central Vietnam coast on the afternoon or evening of September 13, weakening afterward. Forecasters said the possibility of it developing into a numbered typhoon was not great.

Rain Intensifies Across the South

Under the combined influence of the depression and moisture carried by easterly winds, rainfall over Hainan and Guangdong was forecast to intensify markedly on September 12 and 13. Parts of southeastern Hainan, the southern Guangdong coast, and the Guangxi coast were expected to see heavy to torrential rain.

Eastern Hainan could accumulate more than 250 millimeters of rain over the event, according to Xinhua, which cited the China Weather Network. The National Meteorological Center forecast 100 to 130 millimeters locally in southeastern Hainan on September 12-13, 100 to 160 millimeters in southwestern Guangdong and eastern and southern Hainan on September 13-14, and 100 to 170 millimeters in southern Hainan on September 14-15, the China News Service reported.

The heavy rain in Hainan was expected to be prolonged, easing only around September 15, while Guangdong’s rainfall was forecast to weaken by September 14. The previous day, September 11, Hainan’s Wanning and Lingshui had already recorded localized torrential rain of 100 to 173.8 millimeters.

From 14:00 on September 12 to 14:00 on September 13, the northern and west-central South China Sea, the Gulf of Tonkin, the Qiongzhou Strait, and the coastal waters of Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian were forecast to see Force 6 to 7 winds with gusts of Force 8 to 9.

Experts Warn of Secondary Disasters

Meteorological experts urged the public and local authorities to guard against secondary disasters from persistent heavy rain. “Accumulated rainfall in parts of the east may exceed 250 millimeters. Relevant departments and the public should guard against secondary disasters from persistent heavy rain; winds will be strong along the South China coast and in the South China Sea, with attention to adverse effects on vessel navigation,” experts said, according to Xinhua.

A separate advisory carried by Sina Finance, citing the National Meteorological Center, reminded residents that accumulated rainfall in parts of Hainan Island, southern Guangdong, and southern Guangxi would be relatively large, and that the public should stay away from dangerous areas such as mountains, river valleys, low-lying terrain, and the seaside. The China News Service also noted that persistent rain in the Hualong (West China) region and Tibet could affect agricultural production and transportation.

A Sharper Contrast in the North

While the south contended with downpours, most northern regions were forecast to see little rain and clear, crisp autumn weather suitable for outings. As cold air remained active but mainly affected northern areas and the summer monsoon retreated southward, northern China became drier, with day-night temperature differences exceeding 10 degrees Celsius and sometimes more than 15 degrees — what forecasters described as “one day, two seasons.”

Southern China, by contrast, saw a brief return of heat after an early taste of autumn. On September 11, Chaozhou and Jieyang in Guangdong topped 33 degrees Celsius, with apparent temperatures above 36 degrees due to humidity. Temperatures were forecast to climb above 30 degrees again from the Jiangnan region to the southwest, and heat was expected to return briefly to southern North China and the Huang-Huai region around September 14-16, with Jinan forecast to reach 32 degrees on September 15.

What to Watch

The immediate focus is on the rainfall in Hainan and Guangdong and on the depression’s projected landfall in central Vietnam. Forecasters and local authorities will be watching for flooding, landslides, and urban waterlogging in the hardest-hit areas, as well as for the strong winds that could disrupt shipping across the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin. With the September transition well under way, the split pattern — wet in the south, dry and crisp in the north — is likely to persist until the tropical system weakens and the heavy rain over Hainan finally eases around mid-month.