Local governments urged to prepare as China enters flood season

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Source: CCTV.com | 07-03-2007 15:37

China is now in its major flood season this year according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. Some major rivers have already exceeded warning levels.

Forecasters warn that in July alone high temperatures, heavy rains and even typhoons will occur frequently in most parts of the country.

So far this year, floods in China have affected the livelihood of over 34-million people and almost 2-million hectares of crops across 18 provincial regions. The worst hit areas are mostly in the south of the country. 233 people have lost their lives in the flooding, and hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed.

In northern China, the situation is the opposite. Drought has caused a temporary shortage of drinking water for over 7-million people and nearly 6-million heads of livestock. Over 10-million hectares of arable land have been affected.

State weather officials say as China enters a high-risk flood season this year, it is likely that heavy rain will cause flooding in major rivers and the drought-hit north could suffer sudden flooding due to heavy rain. Typhoons could hit coastal areas in southeast China more frequently, while possible northward movement of the subtropical belt is likely to cause drought in South China and the regions south of the Yangtze River.

Meanwhile, the State Meteorological Bureau has held a press conference to announce the weather trend for the coming months.