Heavy rains threaten further flooding across large parts of China
- Torrential storms and heavy winds will put further pressure on flood defences as waters reach dangerously high levels in many places
- Authorities warn that the Three Gorges dam and stretches of the Yangtze will come under further pressure
Large areas of China have been warned to expect more heavy rain and flooding on Sunday and Monday.
Torrential rains are expected in parts of Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu, the National Meteorological Centre said, warning that some areas would experience up to 180mm (7 inches) of daily rainfall.
Some of these regions will see up to 70mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds, the centre said.
Extensive flooding along the Yangtze and other major rivers has already displaced more than 2 million people and affected millions more.
02:17
Third flood of monsoon season for Yangtze River piles pressure on China’s Three Gorges Dam
Many parts of China, from provinces as far apart as Sichuan in the southwest and Gansu, over 1,000km to the north, have seen heavy rainfall over the past two months and the waters of many rivers in the affected regions have reached dangerous levels.
At Lake Tai, on the border of the wealthy coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, water levels have exceeded the safe limits for nine consecutive days, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.