Strong rainfall sweeping across much of country

The heaviest rain for the year is set to sweep across the country from Wednesday to Saturday, dousing central and eastern areas, the National Meteorological Center said.

The strong rainfall that began on Wednesday has entered its peak phase and will move eastward toward the Yangtze River region and Shandong province, the center said.

The center renewed the blue alert for severe convective weather on Thursday. Eight provinces and cities, including Hubei and Hunan provinces, are expected to experience thunderstorms.

The rain coincides with the end of the May Day holiday, and slippery roads and water accumulation on expressways could pose hidden dangers and worsen traffic. Flights in Henan, Hubei and Shandong provinces will be affected, according to a China Central Television report on Wednesday.

The center said that the cumulative rainfall in eastern Hubei, eastern Henan and eastern Shanxi may come close to or break the record for the period historically.

Furthermore, as cold air gradually moves southward, temperatures in central and eastern China are expected to drop by more than 10 C from Wednesday to Monday.

Due to the continuous heavy rainfall, geological disaster risks will remain high in some areas of Henan and Jiangxi provinces and Chongqing for the next few days.

Shanxi Daily reported on Wednesday that tourist attractions must ensure that visitors stay in safe areas, and temporarily close spots if necessary to protect people from mountain flash floods in the region.

Chen Tao, chief forecaster of the NMC, said it is difficult to forecast strong convective weather that comes and goes quickly, adding meteorological departments will adjust their forecasts at any time according to changes in the weather system.

In May, warm and humid air flowed north and brought a wide range of precipitation from west to east, he added.