A few days ago, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, just issued an orange drought warning, followed by a red rainstorm warning at 13:20 on August 7th. Due to the impact of heavy rainfall, the entire city has suspended production, closed businesses, halted classes, transportation, and outdoor activities. Some areas have experienced heavy rainfall of over 100 mm. By 13:00, the flood control emergency response has been elevated to level three.
The Zhengzhou Meteorological Observatory upgraded the yellow rainstorm warning signal to an orange rainstorm warning signal at 12:37 on August 7th, with parts of the main urban area of Zhengzhou experiencing heavy rain and torrential rain. At 13:20 on the 7th, the Zhengzhou Meteorological Observatory issued a red rainstorm warning signal for the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan District, where there has been heavy rainfall of over 100 mm. It is forecasted that in the next 3 hours, most areas of towns and streets under the jurisdiction of Zhongyuan District will continue to experience precipitation along with short-term heavy rainfall, thunderstorm gusts, and other severe convective weather, with local amounts possibly reaching 150 mm.
The Zhengzhou Flood Control and Drought Resistance Headquarters has raised the flood control emergency response from level four to level three at 13:00 on the 7th. Zhengzhou immediately implemented measures such as suspending production, closing businesses, halting classes, transportation, and outdoor activities citywide.
As of 13:21 on the 7th, the water levels of Jinshui River, Xionger River, and Dongfeng Canal in Zhengzhou’s urban area are as follows:
– The highest water level of Jinshui River is at the Beizhakou section, reaching 325 cm.
– The highest water level of Xionger River is at the Yufeng Road section, reaching 294 cm.
– The highest water level of Dongfeng Canal is at the Beichengqiao section, reaching 208 cm.
On August 7th around 14:00, a resident of Zhengzhou named Chen An (pseudonym) told Epoch Times during an interview, “I just returned from my hometown yesterday, a rural area in Anyang. The drought there is severe. The crops such as corn and peanuts entirely rely on underground water for irrigation, but even that is scarce due to the drought. There will definitely be a reduction in yield. The weather forecast mentioned rain, but still, it remains dry.”
“Coincidentally, I returned yesterday (6th), and since then until now in Zhengzhou, it has been raining heavily. It has been continuously pouring, causing severe waterlogging in many areas, similar to that in 2020,” Chen An said. “If there is flood discharge from the reservoirs, it may be as severe as in 2020. Without discharge, there may still be inundated vehicles, as many road intersections already have water accumulation of 10-20 cm. It is still raining heavily.”