Xinhua | July 1, 2024
China's meteorological and water resources authorities on Sunday evening renewed a red alert -- their highest-level alert -- for mountain torrents as rainstorms continue to soak parts of the country.
From 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday, mountain torrents are very likely to occur in parts of Hunan and Guizhou, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration.
The two departments also issued an orange alert for mountain torrents in the northeast of Guangxi.
Mountain torrents could also be triggered by temporary heavy downpours in other areas, the authorities said.
Localities have been advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures, prepare for possible evacuation, and take precautionary measures to minimize risks.
In a separate update, the National Meteorological Center on Sunday evening issued an orange alert for rainstorms.
Parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi should expect downpours, with some regions likely to experience heavy rains of up to 260 millimeters within 24 hours, ending at 8 p.m. Monday, according to the National Meteorological Center.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
In a separate update on Sunday, the Ministry of Water Resources said that floods have occurred with water levels rising above warning level in 98 tributaries or trunk streams in the Yangtze River basin, the Xijiang River in the Pearl River basin, and the Taihu Lake basin.
Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake are experiencing their own 2024 "No. 1 Floods" as of Sunday, and their water levels continue to climb, authorities have said.