China issues alerts for mountain torrents

BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Tuesday evening issued red and orange alerts for mountain torrents.

From 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday, mountain torrents are highly likely to hit certain areas in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu, according to a red alert issued by the two government departments.

The two government departments also issued an orange alert for mountain torrents in some parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu.

Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid preparations for evacuation measures.

The water resources ministry launched a level-IV emergency response for flood prevention in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia on Tuesday evening, urging local water conservancy departments in the regions to pay close attention to areas prone to flash floods and heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the CMA jointly issued a yellow alert for geological disasters in some parts of Shaanxi and Gansu on Tuesday evening.

Local residents are advised to remain vigilant against geological disasters triggered by precipitation within 24 hours, especially in areas near potential geological hazard sites.

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

In its four-tier emergency response system for flood control, Level I is the most urgent response.