China Issues Highest Rain Alert, Boosts Flood Control Measures

China issued its highest alert for rains for the first time in nearly 12 years, as authorities deployed additional inspectors to supervise flood control work and capital city Beijing halted water transport.

The National Meteorological Center posted a red alert as it forecast heavy rains in multiple provinces mostly in the country’s north, according to a statement Saturday afternoon. That’s the first time the authorities have used the highest level for rains since September 2011, the NMC said in a social media post.