China
08:57, 23-Jun-2017
Heavy rain continues to batter large swathes of China
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The National Meteorological Center (NMC) renewed its yellow alert for rainstorms on Friday morning, as heavy rain continues to lash large areas along the Yangtze River in the southern part of the country and in the provinces of Hebei and Shandong, and Tianjin Municipality in the north.
According to the weather forecast, areas in Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui are expected to be affected by thunderstorms or hails.
China has a four-tier warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Photo by National Meteorological Center
Photo by National Meteorological Center
Heavy rain battered Beijing since early morning on Friday, and the municipal meteorological department has warned of possible geological disasters and advised residents to avoid activities near mountainous areas and rivers.
As of 8:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, a total of 277 inbound and outbound flights from Beijing Capital International Airport were canceled. The Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development also shut down 58 attractions for safety concerns.
In Tianjin airport, at least 82 flights were canceled as of Thursday night.
A man rides an electric bike in rain on Friday morning in Beijing. /VCG Photo
A man rides an electric bike in rain on Friday morning in Beijing. /VCG Photo
This round of rainfall has been pummeling China since Wednesday, and according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a total of 49,000 people in Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan were affected, with at least 600 relocated.
A total of 25,000 hectares of crops have suffered damages in these areas, and the direct economic loss is expected to exceed 33 million yuan (4.8 million US dollars).
Meanwhile, the direct economic loss in Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan is estimated at 120 million yuan (17.5 million US dollars), with 45,000 people affected.
The rain even became a trending topic on China's Twitter-like Weibo, as it arrived several hours later than expected. Many netizens joked about the unpunctuality of the rain and the "inaccuracy" of the weather broadcast.