The temperature in Chengdu, capital of East China's Sichuan Province, reaches 38 C on August 19, 2022. Photo: VCG

Local authorities in Southwest China's Sichuan Province issued another emergency notice on Wednesday, urging all cities in the province to prepare for short-term heavy rainfall. It comes after high temperatures that have lasted for more than a month and that reached a record 44 C on Wednesday.

According to the blue rainstorm alert issued by the Sichuan meteorological observatory, cities including Guangyuan, Mianyang, Deyang, Chengdu, Meishan, and parts of Ya'an and Leshan will see rainfall of 50 to 80 millimeters, and some parts of the region will see heavy rainstorms of 100 to 150 millimeters, accompanied by thunder and lightning and short gusts of wind.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) also issued a red alert for high temperatures on Wednesday morning, the 13th consecutive day it has issued a red alert and the 34th day in a row it has issued a high-temperature warning. The warning applied to a large range of areas across the country, including most of Sichuan Province.

The persistent high temperatures since June this year have been the most severe since 1961, when complete meteorological observation records started, China's National Climate Center (NCC) announced on August 17.

The continuous high temperature and drought in Sichuan has made the soil loose or hardened, and short-term heavy rainfall could potentially cause mudslides and other extreme natural disasters, local authorities warned.

Authorities across the province have been urged to pay close attention to rainfall situations and possible changes in river hydrological conditions, as well as ensuring that local officials convey emergency and warning information to local residents who are at risk from natural disasters.

Public evacuation and disaster prevention and control measures should be implemented in strict accordance with the disaster warning information, and priority groups including the elderly living alone and the disabled should be assisted one-on-one to ensure the safety of the transfer process.

The notice issued by the Sichuan provincial government also required local authorities across the province to urgently inspect key areas including scenic spots, reservoirs, embankments, and construction sites, which are prone to natural disasters, and to arrange for administrators to keep an eye on key places and dissuade tourists from unsafe behavior.

Continued rain will ease the heat in western areas of the Sichuan Basin from August 25, but high temperatures will persist in eastern areas of the basin, according to the local meteorological bureau.

Global Times