Xinhua News Agency said that from August 9-11, heavy rain will cover Ha Nam, Hubei, Trung Khanh, Tu Xuyen, Xiem Tay, Anhui and Gansu - places that have been placed in a state of warning, with some areas likely to experience extremely heavy rain.
This rainfall is at risk of causing water levels in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze and Hoai rivers to rise rapidly, while many small and medium rivers in high-risk areas may exceed the warning level.
On August 9, the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources requested local authorities to strengthen real-time monitoring of rain and river water levels, issue timely warnings, tighten measures to prevent urban flooding, especially focusing on risk prevention in small rivers and early evacuation of residents in dangerous areas.
On the same day, the National Administration for Flood Control and Relief also launched a level IV emergency response in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Chongqing. Working groups have been sent to Anhui and Hubei to support the direction of flood prevention work.
On the evening of August 9, the Ministry of Water Resources and Environment coordinated with the China Meteorological Administration to issue an orange warning (level II) for flash floods in some areas of Ha Nam, Hubei and Sichuan, and warned of similar risks in other localities due to prolonged heavy rain. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and green.
This move comes after heavy rains from August 8 caused flash floods in Cam Tuc province, killing 10 people and leaving 33 missing.
General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping requested to focus all efforts on search and rescue, evacuate residents from dangerous areas, minimize casualties and restore traffic and communication as quickly as possible. He also emphasized the importance of improving risk forecasting, early warning and reinforcing disaster prevention measures in the context of consecutive extreme weather.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on localities to remain highly vigilant, strengthen flood monitoring, proactively prevent and respond quickly, considering this a key stage of the flood control season.
