As more heavy rains threaten to drench China's south, recent rainfall caused floods in Ji'an, Jiangxi Province, on Saturday. (DENG HEPING/FOR CHINA DAILY)0
Meteorologists warn of increased risk of mountain landslides and flooding
Heavy rain will hit most parts of China until Wednesday after bad weather caused hundreds of millions of yuan in economic losses and the evacuation of thousands of residents, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.
From June 10 to 12, parts of southern China, including Fujian, Guangdong and Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, will receive about 100 to 200 millimeters of rain, with some areas facing 300 mm, the center said.
In addition to South China, from June 10 to 11, southeastern areas of the Tibet autonomous region, eastern parts of Qinghai province and southern parts of Jiangxi province will receive 100 to 180 mm of rain. From June 11 to 12, northwestern areas in Beijing will also be drenched.
Ma Xuekuan, a chief forecaster at the center, said the continuous, heavy rain will increase the risks of disasters like landslides and flooding.
"Drought conditions in the east of Yunnan province will ease, while central and western parts of the province will still be affected by the drought since they will only receive some light showers," he said.
From June 9 to 11, southern parts of the East China Sea and the Taiwan Straits will be hit by force 6 to 8 winds, ranging from 39 to 74 kilometers per hour. The crew of ships in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea should pay attention to thunderstorms and windy weather and should return to harbor, the center said.
Airports, railways, highways and shipping operators should adopt measures such as flight restrictions, speed limits or temporary suspension of services to ensure safety, the center warned.
Residents of Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces should pay special attention to weather conditions and warnings because heavy rain would cause floods and mountain torrents, the center said.
By Sunday, floods in Jiangxi province had killed six people, with one person missing. About 917,000 residents in 45 counties and cities in the province have been affected, with more than 133,000 residents temporarily relocated, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
About 77,400 hectares of crops have been damaged and 290 houses have collapsed, with another 2,300 damaged. Total economic losses are 1.59 billion yuan ($236 million), the ministry said.
It has started a level-four disaster relief emergency response-the highest level-and has sent relief materials like cotton quilts, tents and folding beds to the province.
More than 30,000 people in Guangxi have been affected by the heavy rain, with as much as 300 mm falling from June 4 to Saturday, local authorities said.
On June 5, mountain torrents in Shiyan, Hubei province, killed one person and damaged many roads. Several cars were swept away.
On the same day, a meter of floodwater rushed into an elementary school in Shiyan. Fourteen teachers safely evacuated 93 students to higher ground, according to the local emergency management administration.
