Residents in most regions of China experienced dramatic weather
conditions on Friday.
Tropical storm Kompasu slammed into Hong Kong and Guangdong
Province on Friday. Strong winds and heavy rainfall first
struck the Shenzhen and Zhuhai special economic zones at the mouth
of the Pearl River at about 3 pm on Friday.
Continuous heavy rain hit Xi'an, the capital of northwest Shaanxi
Province, from Wednesday night, bringing an end to high
temperatures, but also bringing disaster.
The heavy rain brought some 100 millimeters of precipitation to
Xi'an and other parts of the province, killing three people and
making road travel difficult, according to a rain and disaster
report issued by the local government.
Meanwhile, Shanghai, which has just emerged from its one-month
rainy season, has entered a period of prolonged heat with the
mercury set to hit 38 ℃? in the days to come, according to the
Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory.
Affected by Kompasu, many trees and outdoor advertisement boards
were blown down and uprooted in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, which border
Hong Kong and Macao respectively.
A total of 12 typhoon-related injuries have been reported in Hong
Kong so far. All the injured persons have been sent to hospitals
for treatment, with eight of them already being discharged from
hospital.
Ferry services between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao were
suspended starting from 1 pm.
All fishing boats were required to return to typhoon shelters
and other safe harbors on Friday, said an official with local
anti-flood headquarters office.
And the residents, particularly the elderly, children and
disabled people living in ramshackle houses in coastal areas have
been transferred to safer locations.
Meanwhile all construction sites in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and other
typhoon hit areas have been asked to cease construction to avoid
accidents.
Transport services in Hong Kong were gradually being cut back,
with Dragonair cancelling or rescheduling some flights.
To cope with the expected rush of people trying to get home, the
Hong Kong metro and railway increased services, and buses still ran
on schedule.
In the harbor, ferries between Tuen Mun and Tai O have already
been halted, while those to the out-lying islands and inner-harbour
services will be suspended later. Some Macao ferries have already
been stopped.
The Transport Department advised the public to heed radio
broadcasts on bus service arrangements during the typhoon as the
level of bus services may vary according to demand or road and
weather conditions.
Kompasu also affects major cities in the Pearl River Delta. The
entire delta will have heavy rainfall over the entire weekend.
The heavy rainfall also caused a sharp rise in the Xijiang
River, the major tributary of the Pearl River.
In Shaanxi, 83 of its 108 cities and counties suffered from
heavy rain. Some cities, including Xi'an, witnessed the flooding of
some urban areas.
The heavy rain flooded the storage room of the Xi'an Banpo
Museum which houses the archaeological site of a neolithic village
more than 6,000 years old, harming some of the ancient relics
there, local official said.
And some local residents' houses in Xi'an were also badly
affected by the heavy rain, with around 1,000 houses in the urban
area of Xi'an being badly damaged, a local official said.
Since early this month, Xi'an and most part of Shaanxi Province
had been suffering from high temperatures of 35 to 38 ℃, which the
heavy rain has helped to bring down.
According to the weather forecast, Shaanxi will have rain until
July 24, and the capital city Xi'an will be hit by heavy showers
over the weekend. Local government has adopted measures to maintain
order in urban areas and to fight against coming flood.
In a weather forecast report, the observatory predicted Shanghai
would experience five to seven days of heat starting from Friday,
with the highest temperatures reaching 36 to 38 ℃.
On Friday, the temperature climbed up to 36 ℃?but it felt
warmer under the midday sun.
A few people rested on benches at noon in People's Square, the
city's popular meeting place. People searched for shade or sought
out an ice cream or cool drink.
Last year the city also experienced a record-breaking warm
summer, including a continuous 19 days of high temperatures.
Healthcare professionals also warn being exposed to high
temperatures could lead to sickness.
Starting from this month, Shanghai Medical Rescue Centere's
ambulances have dealt with 20 percent more cases than usual and
added 5 more ambulance to their fleet.
(China Daily July 17, 2004)
