Rain keeps the floods coming

North China will be battered by heavy rainfall until Wednesday, while storms in the Yangtze River Basin continue, according to forecasts.

The heaviest rain will fall from Monday evening until Tuesday in some areas north of the Yangtze River. Some areas will receive up to 200 millimeters of precipitation, according to a forecast of the China Meteorological Administration.

Beijing will experience thunderstorms and heavy rain from Tuesday to Wednesday, the forecast said.

It also said rainstorms in several provinces in the Yangtze River Basin will continue, putting great pressure on flood prevention in trunk streams and branches of the Yangtze.

Starting on Sunday, discharge volume from the Three Gorges Dam was increased gradually, which increases the amount of water flowing into Dongting Lake, which acts as a floodwater reservoir.

On Sunday, a subway line under construction was flooded in Wuhan, Hubei province. The construction site is only 300 meters from the Hanjiang River, the longest branch of the Yangtze.

According to local media, the water level at the construction site was 1 to 1.5 meters, and up to 1,000 workers labored to ensuring the safety of the subway tunnel.

The situation was reported to be almost under control as of Monday morning.

Fujian meteorological authorities issued an alert on Monday as torrential rain is expected in three cities in the province. The authorities also called for precautionary measures against landslides.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/19/2016 page5)