Heavy Rain Hits China: Red Disaster Alert Issued, Wuhan Suspends Classes and Business

Central News Agency (Taipei) May 24. Heavy rain continues in China, and authorities issued a red alert for flash floods this evening. It is predicted that by 8:00 PM tomorrow, there is a high probability of flash floods in parts of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Hubei provinces, with the highest risk in western Anhui and eastern Hubei. This is the first red disaster alert issued by Chinese authorities this year. China's disaster alerts are categorized into four levels: blue, yellow, orange, and red, with red being the most severe. The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration stated that flash floods are likely in western Zhejiang, western and southern Anhui, northeastern Jiangxi, and eastern Hubei. In Wuhan, Hubei Province, due to heavy rain since early morning, city authorities announced today that all gatherings, classes, and businesses, except for those essential for daily life, are suspended. The Wuhan Municipal Education Bureau notified schools that they may implement flexible arrival and departure times to allow parents to arrange student schedules based on weather and traffic conditions.