May 30, 2012

China's northern grain-growing areas may receive strong rainfall

Heavy rainfall is likely to affect northern China's summer grain - producing areas, drought-hit regions in the southwest and areas by the Yangtze river, China's meteorological authority forecast on Monday (May 28).

Some parts in Shaanxi, Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, where summer crops are awaiting harvest, will see moderate and heavy rain and even rainstorms from Monday to Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center said.

On Tuesday, moderate and heavy rain is expected to hit areas in the southwest that have been affected by persistent drought, the centre said.

Meanwhile, regions along the Yangtze River, including Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing municipality, will experience rainstorms from Monday to Wednesday, with precipitation reaching up to 180 millimetres, the centre said.

Thunderstorms are also likely to hit most parts of north and northeast China from Tuesday to Wednesday, the centre said.