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Rainstorms to continue to lash southern China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-09 13:39
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BEIJING - Heavy rainfall that has caused 65 deaths will continue to lash southern China over the coming two days, with strong winds and hail in some areas, China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Sunday.

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The regions to be affected over coming days are: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Guangdong Province; Fujian Province; southern parts of Hunan Province; southern and eastern parts of Jiangxi Province; southern parts of Zhejiang Province; southern parts of Guizhou Province; and southeastern parts of Yunnan Province.

Other parts of China - eastern parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, southwest parts of Heilongjiang Province and northwest parts of Sichuan Province - will also experience heavy rain.

"China's flood season usually starts in June, but southern China has entered its flood season already. Still, the nation's biggest floods are yet to come," said NMC meteorologist Sun Jun.

The public should be on their guard for lighting strikes and turn off electrical appliances during thunderstorms, added another NMC meteorologist, Tan Liling.

China's weather has been abnormal, and it is possible China will experience extreme weather this year, a China Meteorological Administration (CMA) forecast said.

The rainstorms that began hitting southern China Wednesday had left 65 dead and 14 missing as of Friday, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said in a statement on its website Saturday.