Heavy rain, floods affect over 800,000 residents in China's Jiangxi

Over 800,000 residents in China's Jiangxi province have been affected by torrential rain and floods, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The latest round of rainfall since May 28 has wreaked havoc in 80 counties of the province, damaging 76,300 hectares of cropland and causing direct economic losses of 1.16 billion yuan ($174 million), Xinhua news agency quoted the authorities as saying.

The province lifted its level IV flood-control emergency response on Tuesday, as heavy rain have subsided.

Authorities have called for close monitoring of weather changes and efficient flood control and drought relief efforts.

On Tuesday, the National Meteorological Centre renewed an alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country.

From 2 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hainan.

Some areas may experience up to 180 mm of rainfall.

--IANS

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