Heavy rain triggers alert in Henan

In response to the rain that has hit North and Central China, the Ministry of Water Resources has sent seven work groups to the provinces of Henan, Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi to guide flood control work.

Water Resources Minister Li Guoying told a video conference with the Henan provincial government and some major rivers' conservancy commissions on Saturday that this round of strong, widespread rain could cause disasters.

Regions along the Yellow, Huaihe and Haihe rivers might suffer from severe flooding, he said.

He asked local authorities to ensure smooth flood discharges, protect dams from breaking and safeguard sources of drinking water.

The meteorological center said the rain is forecast to move eastward on Monday and batter the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou.

Xinhua contributed to this story.