China activates emergency responses in central, northwestern provinces

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Authorities activated emergency responses in central China's Henan Province and the northwestern Shaanxi Province on Wednesday.

The National Disaster Reduction Commission has activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Henan caused by heavy rains. It has also dispatched a team to guide and assist local governments with disaster relief work and rescue efforts, aiming to ensure the basic needs of affected residents are met.

From Wednesday to Saturday, heavy rain to torrential rain is expected to hit the southern and southwestern parts of Shaanxi. In response, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has activated a Level-IV emergency response in the province.

The Level-IV response is the lowest in China's four-tier emergency response system.

China's National Meteorological Center on Wednesday continued to issue an orange alert, the second-highest in the country's four-tier weather warning system, for rainstorms at 10 a.m., indicating that heavy rainfall is expected in several regions of the country.

From 2 p.m. Wednesday to 2 p.m. Thursday, downpours are expected to hit parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu, it said.