Heavy rain forces evacuation of thousands, dozens of scenic spots shut in east China city

HEFEI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people in an eastern Chinese tourist city have been evacuated and dozens of scenic attractions closed as torrential rain continues to lash parts of this region.

Heavy rain has battered the city of Huangshan, Anhui Province, since June 18, with the water levels of 99 of its 188 reservoirs recorded at above the danger level as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The lives of over 400,000 residents had been affected and 54,109 people had been evacuated as of 3 p.m. Sunday.

By Monday morning, a total of 43 national A-level tourist attractions in Huangshan had been temporarily shut due to the extreme weather. Mount Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its magnificent natural beauty, has been partially closed since June 20, with the reopening date depending on weather condition.

China's National Meteorological Center on Sunday morning renewed an orange alert for rainstorms and issued a blue alert for severe convective weather.

According to the meteorological center, parts of Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Guizhou are forecast to experience torrential rain. ■