Workers of flood control department patrol in Ciqikou, an ancient township in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, July 13, 2018. Heavy rain continues in most parts of China on Friday, causing floods and traffic disruptions, forcing people to evacuate and tourist attractions to close. The second flood peak of the Yangtze River this year has formed in its upper reaches, with severe flooding occurring in many branches of the river. The Jialing River is one of the major tributaries where the water level surged to 196.44 meters when the peak arrived at Beibei section in downtown Chongqing by 12 a.m. on Friday. So far, more than 80,000 residents affected by floods in Chongqing Municipality have been relocated to safe places. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rain continues in most parts of China on Friday, causing floods and traffic disruptions, forcing people to evacuate and tourist attractions to close.
The second flood peak of the Yangtze River this year has formed in its upper reaches, with severe flooding occurring in many branches of the river, according to the hydrology bureau of the Yangtze River water resources commission.
Peak flow at the Three Gorges reservoir is expected to reach 61,000 cubic meters per second on Saturday, a record high this year, it said.
So far, more than 80,000 residents affected by floods in Chongqing Municipality have been relocated to safe places.
The rain has also disrupted road and rail traffic. More than 10 highways in Sichuan Province have been blocked due to flooding as of Thursday afternoon, and a bridge across the Minjiang River collapsed in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, local traffic authorities said.
A section of the Baoji-Chengdu railway in Shaanxi Province was blocked following several landslides triggered by rain on Thursday and Friday. Eighteen trains stopped services or changed routes.
The flood control office of Linfen City, north China's Shanxi Province, ordered all scenic spots on the banks of the Yellow River to shut down. The Hukou Waterfall, a well-known tourist attraction, has been closed to visitors Thursday as the Yellow River continues to rise.
China's national weather observatory issued a yellow alert for rainstorms Friday, as heavy rain will continue sweeping across parts of the country.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
