Torrential rains force evacuation of 15,000 in China’s Chongqing

Torrential rains in southwest China’s Chongqing have forced over 15,000 residents to evacuate. Authorities report heavy downpours in 16 districts, with more forecast. River levels are expected to rise, prompting flood control measures across the region.

Chongqing: Torrential rains have resulted in the evacuation of more than 15,000 residents in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, local authorities said on Monday.

According to the municipal meteorological department, heavy downpours hit 16 districts and counties in Chongqing from 7 a.m. on Sunday to 7 a.m. on Monday. The heaviest precipitation was recorded in Hechuan District, reaching 167 mm.

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As of 6 a.m. on Monday, over 15,000 people had been evacuated in Chongqing, the municipal emergency management department said.

The municipal meteorological observatory and hydrological monitoring station forecast heavy to torrential rainfall across multiple regions of Chongqing from day to night on Monday, including the central urban area, central and southeastern parts, and southern sections of the northeastern section.

From 8 a.m. on Monday to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, most small and medium-sized rivers across Chongqing are expected to experience water level rises to varying degrees, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier, on August 10, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters had activated a Level-IV flood control emergency response for Sichuan Province.

The move followed forecasts from meteorological authorities predicting moderate to heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving heavy to torrential rains, across the Sichuan Basin from Sunday through Tuesday.

China’s national observatory had renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms on Sunday, saying that heavy rain and torrential downpours were anticipated from 8:00 a.m. Sunday to 8:00 a.m. Monday across broad regions, including parts of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Some of these regions were expected to see brief but heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation exceeding 80 mm in some areas, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The emergency response system has four tiers, with Level I being the most severe.