Heavy rains swell 16 rivers across nation

Waters rose above warning levels at 16 rivers across China over the weekend as heavy rainfall swept through several provinces, authorities said on Sunday.

The highest waters were recorded at 3.48 meters above warning level, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. Six rivers in Chengde, Hebei province; Xiliin Gol League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region; and Datong, Shanxi province saw record-high water levels.

In Beijing, the Miyun Reservoir received its largest volume of inflow since it began operating in 1959, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Water Resources maintained its Level IV emergency response for flood prevention and control on Sunday in Hebei, Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, as well as the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian and Shaanxi.

Two people were confirmed dead and two others were reported missing as of Saturday evening after torrential rainfall hit Fuping county in Baoding, Hebei, the county's flood control and drought relief headquarters said.

A total of 46,235 people in the county have been affected, and 4,655 have been evacuated. Downpours on Friday and Saturday shattered daily precipitation records, according to the Baoding meteorological bureau.

Between 5 pm on Friday and 1 am on Saturday, Fuping recorded an average rainfall of 140.5 millimeters, with a maximum of 532 mm logged at the Xizhuang hydrologic station.

Search and rescue efforts were underway on Sunday in Datong after contact was lost with a van near Guqianbao township, according to the city's emergency rescue headquarters.

In Beijing's Miyun district, more than 3,000 residents were evacuated as heavy rains triggered widespread disruption. The district's meteorological observatory issued a red alert — the highest in the four-tier warning system — at 9:06 pm on Saturday.

Between noon on Saturday and 2 am on Sunday, Miyun recorded an average of 73.5 mm of rainfall, with a peak of 315.3 mm at Huangtuliang monitoring station. The district activated a Level I flood emergency response, its most severe alert, to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.

The storm forced the temporary closure of 12 major roads in Miyun, seven of which had reopened by early Sunday morning. All affected villages had re-established contact with authorities, with 3,065 residents from 149 villages safely relocated as of 5 am on Sunday.

Across Beijing, emergency adjustments were made to 88 suburban bus routes, including suspensions, shortened trips and detours, the municipal commission of transport said. Train operations on three railway lines were halted, and water transport services were suspended in the districts of Miyun, Huairou and Yanqing. All tourist boats and ferries were ordered to remain docked.

More heavy rain is expected, with much of the capital forecast to receive hourly precipitation exceeding 30 millimeters from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.

Xinhua contributed to this story.