Serious flooding is not likely to happen in a wide area of China this summer, top Chinese meteorologists said yesterday.

Chen Xifang from the National Climate Center under the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said that under the impact of the northward movement of strong high pressure air near the northern sub-tropical zone and strong air currents from the southern hemisphere, the flooding season in Northern and Southern parts of China began earlier, but saw less rainfall than usual. At the same time, the Southern coast of the country had been attacked by typhoons repeatedly.

Chen said that no heavy precipitation is expected in early July. There is only a slight chance that serious flooding will occur in large areas along the major rivers of the country.

Lu Juntian from the CMA National Climate Center said that though frequent thunder showers have relieved the draught in Northern parts of China recently, people and livestock in many areas in that area are still under the threat of a drinking water shortage. Reservoirs and rivers in these areas are still have a limited amount of water due to lasting draught over the past two years and less-than-usual rainfall in spring and early summer.

The latest draught report released by the CMA shows that Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai in northern China are still suffering from draught.

Lu said the serious draught has affected the yield of spring crops and the sowing of summer crops in the north. He said since the rainy season in the south concluded earlier and had less rainfall than usual, the crops in this area are also likely to be affected.

Chen said that as the peak of flooding will come between late July and early August, the rainfall during this period will have a significant effect on the output of grain this autumn.

(Eastday.com.cn 07/07/2001)