Officials fear the flooding on the nation's rain-swollen rivers
could worsen as the summer's major flood season officially
begins.
Heavy rains and stormy weather are expected in many areas, with
precipitation expected to reach as much as 253 millimeters in some
locations, meteorologists predicted Monday.
Rain has already caused rivers to overflow their banks in
central China's Henan
Province.
"Disasters like torrential rain, typhoons, mountain torrents and
storm tides are likely to occur throughout China at any moment in
the days ahead, since the entire country is now in its major flood
season," the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters
warned Monday in an emergency circular. "Local authorities must do
their best to deal with emergency issues of flood control, mass
evacuation, relocation of stranded people and epidemic
prevention."
The headquarters urged weather forecast offices to issue timely
predictions of key devastating calamities so that decision makers
could take planned measures and mitigate damage.
Officials at the headquarters have made it clear that top
priority for disaster relief will be given to safeguarding people's
lives.
"Locals living nearing overflow reservoirs, sluices of
rain-swollen rivers or flood diversion areas must be moved out of
their homes before any such facilities are used," they said.
The intense rainfall that brought injury and death to central
China's Huaihe River last week has now abated.
However, this week a heat wave will sweep over parts of north
and northwest China. In the south as well, temperatures may rise to
highs of 38 degrees Celsius in some areas. Strong gusts of wind and
hail may also strike a few places.
Over the weekend, five people were reportedly injured, one
seriously, in east China's Shandong
Province as a tornado and downpours averaging 100 millimeters
slashed many areas.
More than 14,000 people have been affected, 6,621 housing units
damaged and 2,600 hectares of crops inundated.
Large tracts of maize and big trees were ripped up by a tornado,
witnesses said.
The local government has dispatched doctors and relief workers
to the worst-hit areas with 400,000 yuan (US$48,192) earmarked for
emergency dwellings to be built.
(China Daily July 20, 2004)