• Heavy rains drove water levels in the Pearl River delta to their highest level in almost a century.
• Forecasters predict record-breaking flooding in parts of southern China.
• Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from Guangdong province’s worst-affected areas, including Shenzhen.

Floods were forecast in parts of southern China on Thursday as torrential rains raised water levels in the Pearl River delta to their highest in nearly a century.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from the region’s worst-affected areas, which include Guangdong province, a manufacturing and logistical powerhouse that is home to Shenzhen, China’s innovation capital.

Read more: Floods have forced people to flee from various regions in China

Images from the city of Shaoguan, which is north of Guangzhou, show people driving on main highways that are flooded up to the tops of some vehicles on Wednesday.

The murky floodwater engulfed shops and buildings, and individuals were observed sweeping away the wreckage.

The Pearl River delta is home to the economic powerhouses of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as a number of smaller but densely populated cities with significant manufacturing and other industries.

This week, provincial disaster management officials said that direct economic losses were worth $251 million (1.7 billion yuan).

At-risk areas in Guangdong have been advised to take all necessary precautions, such as suspending factory operations and closing schools, to mitigate potential harm.

Other places in southern China, such as coastal Fujian province and Guangxi, have also seen record rainfall this month, causing hundreds of thousands to leave.

Read more: Rainstorms hit 485,000 people in Jiangxi, China

The Chinese government has not yet made a direct connection between this year’s heavy flooding and climate change.