China renews orange alert for droughts

BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Friday renewed an orange alert for droughts in parts of the country's southern, eastern and southwestern regions.

Parts of Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi and Chongqing have experienced moderate to severe droughts, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan have witnessed extreme droughts, the center said.

Moderate to heavy rains are forecast for some parts of Chongqing, Anhui and Zhejiang over the next three days, which would help relieve the droughts, according to the center.

However, most of these drought areas will continue experiencing little rain and drought will persist, it said.

It advised local authorities to utilize emergency water sources and utilize all available water sources within their regions to ensure continued supply, particularly for residents and livestock.

It also suggested promoting strict water conservation measures and producing artificial rainfall when necessary.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.