Firefighters of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, are inspecting the local disaster situation on May 31, 2025. Photo: chinanews.com

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Monday continued to issue blue alerts for heavy rain and severe convective weather. CCTV News reminded travelers returning from Dragon Boat Festival holidays to stay alert to changing weather conditions and ensure safety. Meanwhile, continuous heavy rainfall recently has struck multiple areas in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, prompting local authorities to fully mobilize rescue and disaster relief efforts.

Between 2 pm Monday and 2 pm Tuesday, parts of East China's Fujian Province, South China's Guangdong Province, Yunnan, and surrounding areas are expected to experience heavy to torrential rainfall. Some areas may be accompanied by short-term heavy precipitation, along with severe convective weather such as thunderstorms, strong winds, or hailstorms, NMC said.

During the same period, parts of central and western Northeast China are forecast to experience thunderstorm winds, along with hail. Some areas may see thunderstorm winds exceeding Force 10, with maximum winds reaching Force 11 or higher. Localized tornadoes cannot be ruled out in places like Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The main period of severe convective weather is expected from Monday afternoon to night, NMC said.

Given the forecast, CCTV News reminded travelers returning from holiday trips to stay alert to weather changes and ensure safety. Monday marked the last day of the Dragon Boat Festival holidays, and since this year's holiday coincided with Children's Day, family trips and short-distance travel have surged, leading to heavier return traffic and potential congestion.

To manage the surge in return traffic and weather-related risks, the Ministry of Transport has conducted special dispatches for relevant provinces and issued timely highway weather warnings and safety advisories, CCTV reported.

Meanwhile, influenced by monsoon air currents, sustained heavy rain and localized downpours have recently struck multiple areas in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. The severe weather has damaged many homes, disrupted several roads, and prompted local authorities to mobilize comprehensive rescue and disaster relief efforts, according to Xinhua News Agency on Sunday evening. As of 8 pm Sunday, the disasters had affected 5,885 people from 1,652 households in Nujiang.

The downpours also triggered landslides, mudslides, flash floods, and other hazards along several highway sections in Diqing. In addition, dense fog in some areas further compromised traffic safety, Xinhua reported.

In response, local authorities quickly activated emergency response plans, organizing full-scale rescue and relief operations while conducting risk assessments for disaster prevention and safety hazards. By 8 pm on Sunday, 1,797 people from 462 households in Nujiang relocated to emergency shelters.

The Global Times learned from Gongshan authorities that Puladi Township implemented emergency risk control measures on Sunday. The township has coordinated 449 personnel for flood rescue efforts, and relocated 127 people from 43 households to safety.

Beginning at 4:50 am on Saturday, fire brigades in Diqing deployed a total of 21 vehicles and 108 personnel to conduct evacuation and rescue operations in multiple townships, according to chinanews.com.

By Sunday, responders held centralized safety briefings for over 500 villagers on risks such as retrieving debris from rivers and fire hazards due to power outages, chinanews.com reported.

Widespread flash floods struck the Meili Snow Mountain scenic area in Diqing, prompting the urgent evacuation of over 300 tourists and the temporary closure of the site, Xinhua reported.

All tourists in the Meili Snow Mountain scenic area have now been safely evacuated, and more than 500 tourists stranded in Gongshan have begun returning home. The Gongshan government has dispatched over 1,400 emergency relief items to ensure the basic needs of affected residents are met. 

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast continued heavy rainfall in Yunnan over the next three days. Authorities have been advised to remain vigilant against mountain floods, geological hazards, urban and farmland waterlogging, and severe localized convective weather. Risk-point inspections and secondary disaster prevention efforts should be further reinforced.

Meanwhile, Northeast China is expected to face frequent thunderstorms and severe convective conditions. Precautions should be taken against impacts on transportation and urban operations, while forested areas should remain vigilant against lightning-induced fires, the NMC said.