China upgrades alert level, emergency response to brace for heavy rain

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday night upgraded the alert level for rainstorms to orange and raised emergency response from level IV to level III, as heavy rain is forecast to batter parts of the country, the China Meteorological Administration said.

From 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday, heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in Beijing, Tianjin as well as parts of Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong provinces.

The southwestern part of Beijing and central part of Hebei are expected to see downpours of up to 280 mm of rain, said the administration, warning that parts of the aforementioned regions will also experience thunderstorms and strong winds.

Local meteorological authorities in Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and other areas that might be affected were urged to activate or adjust their emergency response levels based on local conditions, while strengthening weather monitoring and forecast.

It was estimated that the heavy rain might cause floods in 14 small and medium-sized rivers, including the tributaries of the Qujiang in Sichuan and Hanjiang in Shaanxi.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters have dispatched three working teams to Shanxi, Hebei and Beijing to assist local authorities.