China renews yellow alert for drought

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Saturday renewed a yellow alert for drought, as a lack of rainfall has persisted in multiple regions.

Moderate to severe droughts hit parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and Tibet on Saturday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

In the next three days, parts of Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan will experience moderate to heavy rains, bringing some relief to these areas, the center forecast.

However, droughts will persist in most of the aforementioned areas due to a lack of rain, the center added.

It called on local authorities in Sichuan, Guangxi, Guizhou and Hubei to pay close attention to weather changes and induce artificial rainfall to relieve droughts in due course.

Relevant departments are advised to utilize emergency water sources and dispatch available water sources within their regions to ensure continued supply, particularly for residents.

The center also suggested promoting water conservation measures and warned of forest fire risks.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.