Alerts issued as China braces for heavy rainfall, flooding

BEIJING: Seasonal rainfall during this summer has affected many parts of China, prompting local authorities to beef up flood control and rescue efforts.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, central China’s Henan Province issued an orange alert for rainstorm, the second-highest level in the country’s four-tier weather warning system, according to the province’s meteorological observatory.
From Monday to Tuesday morning, heavy downpours lashed many parts of the province, with a maximum precipitation of 638.5 mm recorded in Sheqi County.
The meteorological observatory forecasted that from 9 a.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, heavy rainfall would continue in some areas of the province, accompanied by strong convective weather, including thunderstorms and gales.
On Tuesday, a Level I emergency response for flood control was activated in the city of Nanyang, while a Level III emergency response for flood control was issued in other nine cities including Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, according to the province’s flood control and drought relief headquarters.
As of 10 p.m. Monday, 382 teams had been dispatched to Nanyang for drainage and rescue work, and 6,417 residents had been relocated. –Agencies