Wet July tipped for northern areas

More rainfall than normal has been forecast for northern parts of China this month, while southern areas will be hit by high temperatures, the National Meteorological Center said on Monday.

Wang Zhihua, director of disaster relief and public service at the China Meteorological Administration, told a news conference that the rain belt will move northward after frequent downpours hit South China last month.

"In July, Northeast and North China will have more rain than normal years and people in these areas should be wary of geological disasters such as mudslides and mud-rock flows caused by floods," he said.

The country triggered its emergency response for flooding on June 21 after heavy rains along small rivers in the Yangtze River Basin.

This month's precipitation is forecast to remain focused over the Yangtze River region and northern parts of China, said Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Center.

"Flood prevention should be concentrated on the Songhua, Nenjiang, Haihe, Yangtze and Yellow rivers," he said. "This year, the rain season in North China will come with more precipitation and earlier… the rain is very likely to last for an extended period of time and northern cities need to prepare for urban flooding and periodic river floods."

Wang urged farmers in northern and southwestern areas to strengthen farmland water and fertilizer management and drain stagnant water to promote the steady growth of crops.

Meanwhile, South China will have more days than normal with temperatures above 35 C. Droughts and tropical cyclones may occur in parts of the south this month, the center said.

"Residents there need to take precautions for drought and heat and farmers should protect their seedlings from scorching," Wang said. "Electricity departments should ensure power supply on hot days and tourists should pay attention to weather reports."