Heavy rain to continue battering southern China through Thursday

Heavy rain is forecast to continue affecting large parts of southern China through Thursday, the National Meteorological Center said, warning of risks of flash floods and geological disasters.

Over the next three days, heavy rain or torrential rain is expected in parts of eastern areas of Southwest China, western areas around the Yangtze and Han rivers, and northern parts of the region south of the Yangtze River and South China. The rainfall will be accompanied by severe convective weather, including thunderstorms, gales, short-term heavy precipitation and hail.

The center issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Tuesday morning, the second-lowest level in China's four-tier warning system, and renewed a blue alert for severe convective weather, the lowest level.

From 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, heavy rainfall is expected to shift southward, bringing heavy to torrential downpours to parts of Chongqing, the Xizang autonomous region, and Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

Some areas in central and northeastern Guizhou, western Hunan, northeastern Jiangxi and northwestern Fujian could receive 100 to 130 millimeters of rainfall. The storms are expected to bring intense short-term downpours, with hourly rainfall exceeding 80 mm in some areas, as well as thunderstorms and hail.

From Wednesday to Thursday morning, parts of eastern Southwest China, northern South China and eastern Northeast China, along with western Hunan, eastern Jiangxi, central and southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian, are expected to see moderate to heavy rain.

From Thursday to Friday morning, moderate to heavy rain will continue in eastern Southwest China, northern South China and parts of the western and southeastern areas south of the Yangtze River, the center said.

Meteorologists warned that accumulated rainfall over the three-day period will be significant, with strong convection and locally extreme precipitation possible.

The risk of mountain torrents and geological disasters is high in areas including northeastern Sichuan province, northeastern Chongqing, eastern and southwestern Hubei province, eastern and southern Guizhou province, and western and northern Hunan province.

The public has been advised to stay alert for landslides, mudslides and flash flooding and to avoid mountainous areas, river valleys and low-lying regions.