Heavy rainfall is forecast in flood-hit
regions of eastern and southern China, while a tropical storm is
inching towards coastal areas of South China.
The Huaihe River valleys and the upper reaches of the Yangtze
River will experience heavy downpours in the next two days,
according to the latest weather forecasts from China's Central
Meteorological Station.
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The mainstream water levels in the Huaihe River in eastern
China, which had dropped gradually over the past few days, began to
surge again after rainfall over the weekend.
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Some 1.35 million people are keeping watch along the Huaihe
River and Hongze Lake, including 816,000 in Anhui Province and
529,000 in neighboring Jiangsu Province.
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Heavy rains triggered flooding in southwest China's Chongqing
Municipality over the weekend, leaving one person dead and another
one missing, a local newspaper reported.
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South China's Guangdong Province is on full alert to face the
challenges brought by the incoming Typhoon Koni.
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The Guangdong government issued an emergency notice yesterday to
notify cities and counties in the province's western coastal areas
to prepare for Typhoon Koni, which is expected to ravage the
southern Chinese province this evening.
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Relevant government departments in western coastal areas must
take concrete and effective precautionary measures, the notice
stated.
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And according to an official who wished to remain anonymous from
the Guangdong Provincial Flood Control Headquarters, all fishing
boats and ferries in the western part of Guangdong have been
ordered to return to local typhoon shelters before Koni
arrives.
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Those residents who are now living in the areas near coastal
dykes and in houses which are in poor condition will have to
temporarily relocate to safer areas beginning today.
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Guangdong usually suffers severe economic losses caused by
typhoons every summer, with many residents being killed and
injured.
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Koni, the first to hit Guangdong this year, is expected to
strike the western part of the province from this evening to early
tomorrow morning.
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The tropical storm, formed above the South China Sea, is now
moving at a speed as fast as 23 meters a second towards the western
part of Guangdong Province, which borders Hong Kong and Macao.
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Affected by Koni, the Leizhou Peninsula and the whole western
part of the Pearl River Delta will be expected to experience heavy
rainfall starting today.
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The downpour, however, will help ease severe drought conditions
that have plagued the region throughout the summer, the official
said.
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Guangzhou, the provincial capital, was battered by heavy
rainfall yesterday evening.
The precipitation has helped lower the city's previous high
temperatures.
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Guangzhou's temperature has dropped 7 to 9 degrees centigrade to
settle at around 30 degrees centigrade yesterday evening.
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In the previous two days, the mercury had peaked at more than 39
degrees centigrade in Guangzhou, the highest temperatures recorded
in the past 50 years.
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The heat wave has led to brisk business for suppliers of
electric fans, air conditioners, ice cream, herbal tea and other
related products in Guangzhou since last week.
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(China Daily July 21, 2003)