China evacuates residents as heavy downpours hit country’s north-west and south-west

BEIJING - China warned of risks from heavy downpours across multiple parts of the country on Aug 3, with storms concentrated in the north-western Shaanxi and south-western Sichuan provinces where residents have been evacuated from high-risk areas.The national forecaster retained its second-highest precipitation alert level for various parts of the country on Aug 3, especially around Shaanxi, south-western Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi, and in southern Guangdong.Shaanxi’s meteorological observatory raised its storm alert and warned of waterlogging and flash floods, and the authorities have relocated 87,987 people since July 30.Torrential rainfall in the northern parts of the low-lying Sichuan Basin and other areas has triggered eight geological disasters in cities including Yibin, Ziyang, Meishan and Guangyuan, state media CCTV reported.No casualties have been reported, but the Sichuan authorities evacuated another 40,249 people across 20 cities on Aug 3 as a preventative measure.The total number of people relocated for safety in the south-western province has risen to 922,058 since the flooding season began in mid-July, according to CCTV.China’s Natural Resources Ministry said numerous rivers nationwide have risen above warning levels and issued a red alert for flash floods in central Chongqing.In Yunnan, continuous heavy downpours are forecast from Aug 3 to Aug 6, with high risks of flash floods, geological disasters and river flooding.In China’s east, coastal areas can expect the effects of Typhoon Dolphin later this week, with wind and rain appearing from Aug 6 into the weekend, CCTV said. REUTERS