Heavy rain raises risks of flooding in parts of China

WUHAN - Central China's Hubei province issued its first flood warning of the year Friday, as one of its largest reservoirs saw the highest flood peak in 16 years after three days of continuous rain.

According to the provincial meteorological department, the average precipitation in Fushui Reservoir, in the counties of Tongshan and Yangxin, was 142 millimeters from Tuesday to Friday, with the maximum as high as 192 millimeters.

The reservoir received 3,460 cubic meters of water per second at around 2 pm Thursday, the largest inflow since 2000.

At least 13 counties in Hubei experienced torrential rain, reporting a total direct economic loss of 452 million yuan (68.5 million US dollars) as of Thursday noon.

The rain affected more than 11,800 hectares of crops and 234 houses collapsed, displacing 2,235 residents.

East China's Jiangxi province also reported losses caused by the on-going rainstorm.

According to the local civil affairs department, 9,652 people have been evacuated.

Many rivers in the province have crossed the alert level, threatening crops and residents downstream. It is estimated that 34,000 hectares of crops have been affected and 260 homes have collapsed, causing direct economic losses of 333 million yuan.

Guangdong province meteorological department in south China also forecast three days of storms starting from Saturday, increasing the risks of flooding and geological disasters.