Beijing: Heavy rainfalls have affected more than 100,000 residents in China's Sichuan province and forced the emergency evacuation of over 7,000 people, local authorities said.

According to the Sichuan provincial water resources department, “the heavy downpours lashed the northeastern part of Sichuan, including the cities of Bazhong, Nanchong and Dazhou, from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, flooding roads and raising water levels of several local rivers above warning levels.” A monitoring station in Yingshan County, under Nanchong, saw precipitation of 424.8 mm in the 24-hour period. Disaster relief and rescue efforts are underway.

Authorities have warned that the amount of rainfall this year could be even higher, with the Ministry of Water Resources issuing a call for flood prevention efforts and for communities to prepare for heavy rainfall that may persist until August.  China’s summer monsoon season has delivered incessant rainfall over the past month, causing rising water levels on the several tributaries of the Yangtze River, and posing a major test for the country’s flood-control infrastructure. 

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