China renews yellow alert for rainstorms

China’s national observatory yesterday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms in parts of southern, southeastern and central China for the next 24 hours.

Until this morning, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in the regions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Fujian, Anhui and Henan, the National Meteorological Center said.

Some of those regions will see up to 70 milemeters of hourly rain, as well as the potential for thunderstorms and strong winds, the NMC said, warning that parts of northern Guangdong will experience downpours up to 160 mm of daily rainfall.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The center advised local governments to remain alert for flooding, landslides and mudslides and recommended outdoor operations be halted in hazardous areas.

Since the beginning of June, downpours have hit large parts of south, east and central China, bringing accumulated rain of 100 to 300 mm in some regions. Some areas in Guangdong and Guangxi have even recorded up to 700 mm.

A level-4 emergency response, the lowest in China’s emergency response system, has been activated for potential floods caused by the heavy rains in the south.

Affected by the rainstorms, 52 rivers in eight provincial-level regions, including Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi, saw water levels exceed their warning levels, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.