More turbulent weather events forecast across country

Heavy rainfall is set to hit southern provinces as the north cools due to a mass of cold air that has recently interrupted the start of summer.

From Monday to Friday, South China will experience the heaviest rainfall since the start of the flood season earlier this year. The weather front will be fierce and bring large amounts of rain, the National Meteorological Center said.

Heavy rain and hail are expected in most areas including those south of the Yangtze River, Guangdong province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the center said.

Chen Tao, the center's chief forecaster, said that during the system, the most powerful rainfall period will occur from Tuesday to Thursday along the Yangtze River and in some scattered parts of South China. Precipitation on a daily basis in some areas in Guangdong and Guangxi may break historical records.

Weather alerts have been issued for potential flash floods and geological disasters in parts of South and East China, he said.

The Ministry of Water Resources said on Sunday that major rivers in Jiangxi, Guangdong and Hunan provinces may swell remarkably and may result in flooding.

Traffic controls were implemented for several highways in Chongqing from 8 am to 8:30 am on Monday, due to the persistent rainstorm that had started in the wee hours.

Chen, the chief forecaster, said the rain front was due to warm and humid airflow confronting cold air from the north resulting in continued showers.

"In addition, more water vapor has come south recently, providing sufficient water conditions for the rainfall," he said.

Elsewhere, strong cold air is forecast to chill northern provinces. From Tuesday to Thursday, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and most parts of North China will be cooled by 4 to 8 C, in some places by as much as 10 C.

Chen said that due to the frequent cold air, temperatures on the North China plain will continue to be lower than usual for the next week.

The climate conditions in China this year will be worse than in normal years, with regional and periodic drought and flooding and more extreme weather and climate events, according to the forecast from meteorological and water resources authorities.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said on Monday that it will guide local governments to improve their abilities to prevent and respond to extreme rainstorms in terms of early warning, evacuation and rescue.

The ministry said local governments should aim for "no fatalities and fewer injuries" and minimize the risks of losses due to disasters.