Rainfall continues in south China amid receding water levels

CHANGSHA - Rainfall pounding southern China for two weeks persists on Saturday, with water levels receding in some areas.

In Hunan province, rainstorm since Sunday has brought over 100 millimeters of rainfall to 814 townships across 14 cities and prefectures, leading to swollen local rivers. As of Saturday morning, the Qingshan monitoring station in Anhua County recorded the highest water level in a tributary of the Zijiang River.

In the Yiwangxi Township in Taoyuan County, Changde City, rainfall in the 24-hour period between 8 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday reached a record 395.6 millimeters.

The downpour has disrupted communication and blocked roads in parts of Taoyuan. As of 6:30 am Saturday, more than 4,000 people had been evacuated in the county. Eight campers were stranded in floods, with seven rescued and one still missing.

The provincial hydrological and water resources survey center has warned residents in northern and central Hunan about the risks of floods and other secondary disasters, noting that water levels in many rivers and streams are receding.

The situation is similar in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Although nine rivers were still running above alert levels at 12 monitoring stations as of 8 am Saturday, most river sections have seen water levels recede.