BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in northwest China's Shaanxi and Gansu provinces at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Under the combined influence of the southwest monsoon and cold air, heavy rain is forecast to hit parts of southwestern Shaanxi and southeastern Gansu from 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Monday, with short-duration downpours expected in some areas.
From 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday, the risk of mountain torrents in 13 county-level areas in the two provinces is expected to reach the orange-alert level.
The ministry urged local water authorities to strengthen emergency on-duty operations, consultations, and assessments, as well as to enhance the monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems for rainfall and water conditions.
It also called for clearly defined responsibilities throughout the evacuation process and the advance relocation of residents from high-risk areas.
Between 8 a.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, rainfall caused floods exceeding warning levels in 11 rivers in Jilin, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang, with the largest excess reaching 3.97 meters.
Meanwhile, the ministry maintains Level-IV emergency responses for Henan, Hubei and Sichuan. Seven ministry work teams are assisting flood-control efforts in Hunan, Gansu, Hubei, Henan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia.
China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. ■
