Rescuers carry out rescue operations in Shangshan Village of Licun township, Fengcheng city, east China's Jiangxi province on May 6, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - China will ramp up its flood control and disaster relief efforts as heavy rains have hit southern parts of the country, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Relevant government departments should issue early rainstorm warnings, prepare rescue forces and materials in advance, handle dangerous situations promptly, and evacuate people from dangerous areas in a timely manner, the two government bodies said.

More efforts should be made to bolster the prevention of and response to torrential flooding and the flooding of small and medium-sized rivers, and ensure the safety of small and medium-sized reservoirs

More efforts should be made to bolster the prevention of and response to torrential flooding and the flooding of small and medium-sized rivers, and ensure the safety of small and medium-sized reservoirs.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday said that it has launched a level-four emergency response to flooding.

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Heavy rains triggered floods in parts of Beihai City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Friday and affected some villages, but no casualties were reported.

China's meteorological authorities on Sunday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in various regions across the country.

From 8 am Sunday to 8 am Monday, heavy rains or rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Henan and Hubei, with up to 120 millimeters of rain expected in northern Hainan, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some of these regions will also experience heavy rainfall marked by 20 to 40 millimeters of hourly precipitation, as well as severe convective weather such as thunderstorms, gales and hail, the meteorological center said.

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It has advised local governments and residents to take precautions accordingly. Schools and kindergartens should work to ensure the safety of children, and drivers should remain alert for road waterlogging and traffic jams.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.