BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authority continued to issue both a yellow alert for rainstorms and a yellow alert for high temperatures on Wednesday.
From 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday, torrential rain will sweep parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Guangdong, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Some of these regions will experience short-term heavy rainfall with 70 mm or more of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.
The meteorological center has advised local governments to implement appropriate preparations and check the drainage systems in cities, farmlands, and fishponds.
China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday initiated a Level-IV emergency response in Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi and maintained the same level emergency response in Fujian, Guangxi, Zhejiang and Guizhou in anticipation of potential flooding, as intense rainstorms continued to batter the south and the east of the country.
As of Monday, rainstorms, mountain torrents and landslides had killed four people in Shanghang County and four people in Wuping County, both located in east China's Fujian Province, and five people in the city of Meizhou in south China's Guangdong Province, according to local authorities.
Wednesday daytime hours will see some areas in Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Liaoning, Guangdong, and Hainan experience temperatures reaching 35 to 36 degree Celsius, according to the center.
The center forecast maximum temperatures of 37 to 39 degrees Celsius in parts of Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin and Shandong.
Outdoor activities should be avoided during such high temperatures, and precautionary measures should be taken to protect vulnerable groups such as children and older people, the center said.
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs activated a Level-III emergency response to drought in Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan on Monday as sweltering heat continued to bake parts of the country.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. The country has a three-tier warning system for high temperatures, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange and yellow. ■
