Flood-hit Henan braces for new round of downpour

ZHENGZHOU, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A new spell of heavy rain is expected to lash the flood-ravaged province of Henan in central China from Monday to Thursday, according to forecasts.

So far, torrential rain has caused 63 deaths and affected millions of people in the province.

The cities of Xinyang, Zhumadian, Zhoukou, Shangqiu, Kaifeng, Puyang, Xinxiang, Hebi and Anyang are likely to witness heavy downpours, intensifying the local flood control situation, said the Henan provincial meteorological observatory.

From July 17 to 25, a total of 132 townships in Xinxiang have been ravaged by rainstorms, affecting more than 2 million people, according to the Xinxiang subsidiary of the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

By Sunday afternoon, seven flood storage and detention basins in Henan have been put into operation to divert and hold 553 million cubic meters of floodwater.