Gyirong braces for heavy rain as authorities step up disaster response

More rain is forecast for Gyirong county in the Xizang autonomous region over the next three days, prompting authorities to closely monitor river levels, road conditions and the risk of secondary disasters as rescue crews continue working at the site of a deadly mudslide.

The county is typically in the latter part of its rainy season in early September, seeing frequent cloudy and rainy weather and a tendency for rainfall at night, said Huang Zhuo, deputy director of the National Meteorological Center.

"Localized precipitation could be heavier in the low-elevation river valleys in southern Gyirong," he said.

Light to moderate rain is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by cloudy to overcast conditions with showers on Friday. Most of the rainfall is expected at night, Huang said.

Temperatures in Gyirong are forecast to range from highs of about 21 to 24 C to lows of 13 to 15 C.