Thousands of people have been evacuated in southern China after heavy rains caused flooding in the region. Here, rescuers evacuate stranded people in Shaoguan in Guangdong province June 21, 2022. Photo: Zhou Sitao / XinhuaThe affected areas are Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Here, rescuers evacuate stranded people in Songxi county of Nanping in Fujian, June 18, 2022. Photo: XinhuaChinese government official Zhang Meifang tweeted this photo from her Twitter handle Jun 21, 2022, writing: “Rainstorms affect 485,000 people in China’s Jiangxi.” The floods come as strict COVID-19 regulations are in place across much of the country. This aerial photo taken June 20, 2022, shows flooded areas of Wuyuan county in Jiangxi. Photo: Wang Guohong / XinhuaThe worst flooding in China in recent years happened in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and almost three million homes were destroyed along the Yangtze river. This aerial photo taken June 4, 2022, shows a view of the Rongjiang river after heavy rainfall in Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Photo: Huang Xiaobang / Xinhua