China renews orange alert for droughts

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The national observatory on Monday renewed an orange alert for droughts in vast parts of China.

Moderate to severe droughts were monitored in parts of Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan on Monday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Chongqing have witnessed extreme droughts.

Over the next three days, moderate to heavy rains are forecast to lash some parts of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, and Taiwan. These rains will help relieve the droughts, according to the center.

However, it said that other parts of the drought-stricken areas would continue experiencing little rain, and droughts would persist.

It advised local authorities to utilize emergency water and 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.