"Dragon boat rain", which refers to precipitation around the Dragon Boat Festival, and covers the period between May 21 and June 20, started to hit Guangdong Province on Saturday. The local flood control headquarters advised citizens to avoid the outdoors when the downpour lashes the city.

Since the city experienced heavy rain not long ago, its soil is still saturated with water and ecological hazards haven't been eliminated yet. The headquarters also warned citizens of increased hazards following the dragon boat rains.

The city is still experiencing showers and thunderstorms until Wednesday, with heavy rains in some urban regions. Frequent precipitation started Thursday and will continue until the end of this month, according to the city's meteorological observatory.

Next month, it is also expected that the amount of dragon boat rainfall in the city will be equivalent to or over 10% more than that of the same period in history, the observatory said.

According to the Guangdong Meteorological Service, heavy rains are expected to hit the western part of the Pearl River Delta and west and northwest Guangdong today. Thunderstorms or regional rainstorms are forecast in cities and counties in Guangdong in the following two days.

In case of continuous heavy rains, citizens are advised not to go out unless absolutely necessary. Drivers must avoid traveling on flooded roads and get out of the car when it breaks down in a low-lying area.

During thunderstorms, people should not work in the fields and must stay away from high-voltage power lines, isolated tall buildings, big trees and flagpoles. People should not stand on the open high ground or under large trees to take shelter from rains, according to experts.