File photo: VCG

China’s National Meteorological Center issued blue alerts for rainstorms and severe convective weather on Saturday morning, forecasting heavy to torrential rain and severe thunderstorms with strong winds, hail, and possible tornadoes across parts of the country over the next 24 hours.

From 2 pm Saturday to 2 pm Sunday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in parts of regions including Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Jiangsu, and Shanghai. Some of the affected areas may also experience short-term intense rainfall, along with thunderstorms, strong winds, and other severe convective weather.

Also, during the same period, parts of Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, North China, and South China will also experience thunderstorms with winds above force 8 or hail, with some areas seeing winds exceeding force 10 and possible tornadoes. 

Additionally, short-term heavy rainfall exceeding 20 millimeters per hour is expected in parts of regions including Northwest China and Northeast China, with some areas in Beijing and Tianjin receiving over 50 millimeters per hour, and locally exceeding 70 millimeters.

At 11 am on Saturday, Beijing renewed a yellow alert for mountain floods. The risk is high in Miyun District, and relatively high in Yanqing, Pinggu, Huairou, Mentougou, Fangshan, Changping, Fengtai, and Shijingshan districts. The public is advised to stay away from flood-prone valleys, suspend outdoor activities involving mountains or water, and take precautions against potential mountain flood hazards, according to CCTV News.

The entire city of Shenzhen is also on alert for heavy rain, as the city’s meteorological observatory issued yellow warnings for thunderstorm gusts and heavy rain in the Pearl River Estuary and Shenzhen Bay areas at 9 am on Saturday, according to CNR. These areas are expected to experience 30 to 50 millimeters of rainfall this morning, accompanied by gusts around force 8 and strong lightning.

According to meteorological forecasts, over the next three days, certain areas in South China's Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Northwest China's Gansu and Qinghai provinces are expected to experience heavy rainfall. 

The Technical Guidance Center for Geological Disasters of the Ministry of Natural Resources has assessed that the risk of geological disasters is relatively high in the above regions. Accordingly, a Level IV geological disaster prevention response was activated at 10 am on Saturday, according to the ministry.

After comprehensive assessment and emergency consultation, the China Meteorological Administration issued an order at 11 am on Saturday to adjust the major meteorological disaster emergency response level from Level III for typhoon and heavy rain to Level III for heavy rain only. 

Local meteorological bureaus in Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangdong and other regions could initiate or adjust their emergency responses accordingly based on situational assessments.

The Ministry of Transport also maintains a Level III emergency response for heavy rainfall defense. Officials from the ministry coordinated with transportation departments in provinces including Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Heilongjiang and Yunnan, urging close monitoring of weather warnings and strengthened communication with meteorological agencies. They emphasized timely response and control measures based on warning levels.

The Hong Kong Observatory issued a black rainstorm signal on Saturday morning, warning that heavy rainfall may trigger flash floods. Due to severe flooding on roads and adverse weather conditions, residents are advised to stay in safe places and seek shelter when needed.


Global Times