China renews yellow alert for rainstorms

August 10, 2025

Beijing: China’s national weather service renewed its yellow alert for rainstorms on Sunday, forecasting heavy downpours across parts of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang from 8:00 am Sunday to 8:00 am Monday.

Some areas in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan could receive torrential rain, with totals reaching up to 230 mm and hourly rain exceeding 80 mm in places, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.

Authorities were advised to take precautions against heavy rainstorms and to implement drainage measures in urban areas and farmlands. China uses a four-tier color system for weather warnings, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

Earlier, the Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood-control emergency response for five provinces as heavy rainfall was forecast to sweep across large parts of the country. From August 9 to 11, intense rainfall was expected to affect Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Anhui, and Gansu, with some regions facing extreme downpours.

Downpours may cause significant water level rises in the upper and middle Yangtze and Huaihe basins, and small to medium rivers in high-risk areas could exceed warning levels. The ministry urged real-time rainfall and river condition monitoring, timely public alerts, and enhanced flood-prevention measures, especially in smaller rivers, with emphasis on early evacuations in danger zones.