Chinese authorities on Wednesday launched an emergency response and multiple alerts for incoming or possible natural disasters.
The National Meteorological Center issued a blue alert for heavy rainfall and severe convective weather, and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) initiated a Level-III emergency response to meteorological disasters.
Storms hit Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, south China, May 7, 2025. /VCG
From 8 p.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Thursday, thunderstorms, gales or hail are forecast to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Shanxi, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan and Jiangxi, while winds of over force 11 (28.5-32.6 meters per second) on the national wind scale will hit parts of Hunan, Jiangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou.
The Ministry of Water Resources and the CMA have also issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents that could strike parts of Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan.
A yellow alert for meteorological risks of geological disasters was launched on Wednesday, warning that such risks will be relatively high in some areas of Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou.
A yellow alert for sandstorm is issued by the meteorological observatory of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China, May 6, 2025. /VCG
Localities have been urged to spare no effort in their real-time monitoring, early warning and evacuation procedures, and the public has been advised to be cautious when in the affected areas.
China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The emergency response system also has four tiers, with Level I being the most severe.
(Cover: Storms hit Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, south China, May 7, 2025. /VCG)