China issues multiple weather alerts as heavy rain looms

The National Meteorological Center issued multiple weather alerts at 6 pm on Sunday, warning of heavy rainfall, severe convective weather and Tropical Storm Bavi, as parts of the country brace for widespread rain, strong winds and an elevated risk of mountain floods and geological disasters through Monday.

From 8 pm Sunday to 8 pm Monday, heavy to torrential rainfall is forecast in parts of central and northern Liaoning province, central and eastern Jilin province, the southern Shandong Peninsula, western and northern Jiangsu province, most of Anhui province, northeastern Jiangxi province, western Zhejiang province, northwestern Fujian province and eastern Qinghai province, according to the NMC.

The center also issued a blue alert for severe convective weather during the same period, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by gale-force winds exceeding force 8 or hail in parts of southern Northeast China, eastern North China and central and eastern regions to the south of the Yangtze River.

The NMC also maintained a blue alert for Tropical Storm Bavi, this year's ninth typhoon, which weakened into a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon. At 5 pm, its center was located in Wuwei, Wuhu city, Anhui province.

Bavi is expected to move northwest at 10 to 15 kilometers per hour while gradually weakening. It is forecast to turn northeast in eastern Anhui on Monday and move into the northern Yellow Sea via the Shandong Peninsula on Tuesday before gradually transforming into an extratropical cyclone, according to the NMC.

At 6 pm on Sunday, the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued meteorological alerts for mountain flood disasters.

From 8 pm Sunday to 8 pm Monday, parts of northeastern Liaoning, southwestern Jilin, southern Anhui and northeastern Jiangxi face a high risk of mountain floods under an orange alert. Local areas in northeastern Liaoning, southwestern Jilin and southern Anhui face a very high risk under a red alert.

The authorities warned that localized short-duration heavy rainfall could also trigger mountain floods in other regions and urged local governments to strengthen real-time monitoring, early warning, emergency response and evacuation measures.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration also jointly issued meteorological alerts for geological disasters.

From 8 pm Sunday to 8 pm Monday, parts of northeastern Beijing, northern Tianjin, northeastern Hebei, western and northeastern Liaoning, central and southern Jilin, most of Zhejiang, southern Anhui, northwestern Fujian and northeastern Jiangxi face a relatively high meteorological risk of geological disasters under a yellow alert.

Parts of northeastern Hebei, northeastern Liaoning, southeastern Zhejiang and southern Anhui are under an orange alert for a high risk of geological disasters, while local areas in northeastern Liaoning and southern Anhui are under a red alert for a very high risk.

The authorities urged governments at all levels and relevant departments to activate emergency response plans and strengthen efforts to prevent geological disasters.