Much of China has been put on alert for floods and landslides with heavy rains forecast for Friday and Saturday by the Central Meteorological Station.

In the next two days, northern and eastern parts of north China, most of northeast China and the eastern drainage area of Yellow and Huaihe Rivers will get showers and thundershowers.

The eastern and southern parts of south China and the eastern part of southwest China will get drizzle and moderate rain. Several of these areas will also get heavy rain and hail.

Tibet and Qinghai Province in the west will get moderate rain and sleet, and Xinjiang, also in the west, will get showers and thundershowers.

The meteorologists warned that the constant and heavy rainfall which would lingering over the country would have negative effects on the crops.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2003)