NE China's Heilongjiang on rainstorm red alert

HARBIN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Meteorological authorities in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province issued a red alert, the highest-level warning for rainstorms, on Wednesday morning.

The red alert was first issued at 9:25 a.m., as over 91 mm of rainfall was recorded at the Limudian weather station in the city of Zhaodong within three hours. The red alert was renewed at 10:50 a.m. as the stormy weather is expected to persist.

The provincial meteorological observatory said that from Wednesday to Friday, parts of the region, including the provincial capital Harbin, will be lashed by heavy downpours with accumulative precipitation likely exceeding 300 mm in the hardest-hit areas.

The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters activated an emergency response for flood control at 5 p.m. Tuesday.