China warns of bad weather in flood season this year

China is likely to see relatively poor weather in the upcoming flood season of May-September, weather authorities warned Tuesday.

The National Climate Center under the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) predicted frequent extreme weather events in the five months, together with more severe droughts than the same period last year.

Northern China will see more rain than southern regions, and fewer but stronger typhoons will make landfall this year, said the center.

Liu Yaming, head of the CMA, told a conference that intensifying global climate change and frequent extreme weather events had made it more difficult to make timely forecast.

She called for improved weather forecasts and early warning services during the flood season to better inform disaster prevention and control measures, as China's social and economic development is "highly sensitive" to meteorological disasters. Endi