Heavy rains may lead to floods in South, Southwest China

Torrential rains from Thursday to Sunday may leave more than a dozen rivers in southern China swollen above their flood warning levels, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Moderate to heavy rains are expected to fall in some parts of South and Southwest China during the period, as well as some areas in the region south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the ministry said in a news release on Thursday.

The rainfall may result in deluges in at least five natural water body systems, including the Yangtze and Pearl rivers and the Dongting and Poyang lakes.

The Ganjiang, Fuhe and Xinjiang rivers that empty into the Poyang, for example, are forecast to experience significant increases in their water levels, the ministry noted.

The Xijiang, Liujiang and Guijiang rivers in the Pearl River Basin may also be affected, it added.

The ministry has asked flood control authorities in these areas to roll out precautionary measures, the release said. In particular, they have been asked to take action to cope with floods in medium and small-sized rivers and mountain torrents.

According to the National Meteorological Center, some parts of Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces may see 40 to 80 milliliters of precipitation from Friday to Sunday. Some areas may experience brief, but heavy downpours, with a maximum hourly precipitation of 20 to 50 mm.