Beijing: More than 120,000 people have been temporarily evacuated after continuous downpours triggered floods in north China's Shanxi Province, authorities said Sunday. The floods have disrupted the lives of 1.76 million residents from 76 counties, cities and districts, according to the provincial department of emergency management, Xinhua reported.
Some 190,000 hectares of crops were damaged and more than 17,000 houses collapsed, the department said.
Emergency management departments of various levels have allocated 4,000 tents, 3,200 folding beds as well as cotton clothes and quilts for disaster relief.
Meanwhile, China's National Meteorological Centre on Sunday renewed its blue alert for rainstorms in southern and eastern parts of the country and called for taking precautionary measures.
From 8 am Sunday to 8 am Monday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Jiangsu and Anhui, with southern parts of Guangxi experiencing rainfall of up to 160 mm, Xinhua news agency quoted the Centre's forecast as saying.
Some of the aforementioned regions are likely to encounter over 50 mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms, gales or hail.
The centre has advised local governments to make preparations for the rainstorms.
Schools and kindergartens have been asked to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children and drivers have been alerted to watch out for flooding and traffic jams.
