Forecasters: Rain highlights need to prepare

Heavy rain has hit large areas of China since June, reminding authorities across China - especially in regions at great risk of flooding in the southwest - of the need to be alert and take preventive action against natural threats, the China Meteorological Administration said on Thursday.

South China faced widespread downpours in June, with some regions bracing for total precipitation exceeding 40 centimeters, influenced by Typhoon Ewiniar. The Pearl River Delta and the coastal areas of Guangdong province have experienced rainstorms for four to five days, with Huadu district in Guangzhou setting a record for the amount of rain in a month.

Since late June, heavy rain has moved west to affect cities between the western parts of the Sichuan Basin and the southern parts of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, resulting in significantly higher precipitation than previous years, and thus greater risks of flooding in the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.