An excavator clears fallen rocks from a rain-soaked road in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Photo: CCTV News

A total of 49,925 households, or 115,756 people, have been evacuated and relocated to safety across Northwest China's Shaanxi Province during the latest round of rainfall, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported on Tuesday. 

From August 3-4, most parts of northern Shaanxi, western Guanzhong and western southern Shaanxi received light to moderate rainfall, while eastern and southern Guanzhong as well as central and eastern southern Shaanxi experienced heavy to torrential rain, according to the province's Shaanxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management. Three counties - Luonan, Tongguan and Baihe - were hit hard by extreme downpours, CCTV reported. 

Rainfall was recorded in 100 counties and districts across the province. The highest precipitation, 136.4 millimeters, was recorded at Shipo station in Luonan, followed by 125.2 millimeters at Dongtongyu station in Tongguan county and 100.6 millimeters at Sixin station in Baihe.

The heavy rainfall has triggered flooding across the Hanjiang, Weihe, Danjiang and Yiluo river basins, with 28 rivers and 40 hydrological stations recording 47 flood peaks. Two monitoring stations briefly exceeded warning levels before water levels receded below the alert threshold, according to the emergency management department. 

On Tuesday morning, the Shaanxi Provincial Meteorological Observatory renewed its orange alerts for both rainstorms and severe convective weather, warning that another round of heavy rainfall is expected from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, according to the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management.

Thunderstorms are expected in parts of eastern Guanzhong, eastern southern Shaanxi and southern northern Shaanxi, accompanied by short-duration intense rainfall, with peak hourly precipitation of 20 to 50 millimeters, exceeding 50 millimeters in some areas. Thunderstorm gales of force 8 or above are also forecast in some locations, according to the provincial meteorological authority. 

The Shaanxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management urged local authorities to strengthen inspections of geological hazard sites and eliminate potential risks, relocate residents from threatened areas in a timely manner, and guard against secondary disasters that could be triggered by the heavy rainfall, including flash floods, flooding of small and medium-sized rivers, urban waterlogging, landslides and mudslides. The department also warned that risks of geological disasters could persist even after rainfall weakens, urging continued vigilance over the delayed impacts of the latest downpours.

The Shaanxi provincial government also held a flood control meeting on Tuesday, calling on local authorities to step up precautionary measures and preparedness in response to the ongoing heavy rainfall.

Global Times