Key Points

The move follows forecasts from meteorological authorities predicting moderate to heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving heavy to torrential rains, across the Sichuan Basin from Sunday till Tuesday.

China's national observatory renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms on Sunday, saying that heavy rain and torrential downpours are anticipated from 8 a.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday across broad regions, including parts of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang.

China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The emergency response system has four tiers, with Level I being the most severe.

On Saturday, the National Meteorological Centre said that from 8 a.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday, heavy rain and rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan are expected to experience torrential rain, with precipitation of up to 230 mm, the centre added.

Some of these regions were expected to see brief but heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation exceeding 80 mm in some areas, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales, Xinhua news agency reported.

The centre has advised local authorities to take precautions for heavy rainstorms and recommended implementing drainage measures in urban areas and across farmlands.

Further, China's Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood-control emergency response for five provincial-level regions, as heavy to torrential rains were predicted to sweep across vast parts of the country in the coming days.

From August 9 to 11, intense rainfall was expected to batter Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Anhui, and Gansu, where the alert was already in place, with some areas facing extreme downpours.

The downpours may cause sharp water level rises in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, while some small and medium-sized rivers in high-risk areas could exceed warning levels.

The ministry has urged local authorities to step up real-time monitoring of rainfall and river conditions, issue timely public alerts, and enhance urban waterlogging-prevention measures.

Special emphasis should be placed on mitigating risks in smaller rivers and ensuring early evacuations of residents in dangerous areas, according to the ministry.

- IANS