Nation on alert for rain-induced floods, hazards

Heavy rainfall and prolonged periods of rain in the coming weeks are expected to lead to potential flooding and geological hazards in some parts of China, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Huang Zhuo, deputy director of the meteorological center, told a news conference on Tuesday that during mid-to-late September, most parts of China are expected to experience above-average precipitation. With northern Sichuan province and parts of Shaanxi province particularly vulnerable, people in those areas should prepare for potential flash floods and landslides.

From Monday to Tuesday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a yellow meteorological risk warning for geological disasters, the third highest of the four-tier system, for parts of Guangdong province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Residents were warned to avoid valleys, slopes and steep cliffs.

The risk was a result of Typhoon Tapah, the 16th of this year, which made landfall in Taishan city, Guangdong province, on Monday, the center said.

Its remnants were expected to bring heavy rain to parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou and Yunnan on Tuesday. The center also issued a yellow rainstorm warning, the third highest of the four-tier system, on the same day.

An image released by Weather China, a website affiliated with the China Meteorological Administration, showed how winds and rain associated with the typhoon uprooted trees and blew away bicycles on Monday in Zhuhai, Guangdong.

The center has forecast medium to heavy rainfall from Wednesday through to Friday in parts of the North, Southwest and Northwest China.

In Beijing, residents were warned of inclement weather due to set in by Tuesday night with thunder, gusty winds, hail and sudden downpours expected in some parts.

Commuters were informed to brace for potential disruptions during the evening rush hour due to weather changes, the city's weather service said.

Huang said North China has experienced its longest and wettest rainy season on record.

"The rainy season of North China began on July 5, 13 days earlier than usual, the earliest since 1961. It lasted 59 days, 29 days longer than average with a total rainfall of 356.6 millimeters, 161.1 percent above the norm, the highest since 1961," he said.

He added that this season, Beijing and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region have recorded their highest rainfall levels since that year.