BEIJING (Reuters) - China has warned that the Yellow River, the nation's second longest and known as the nation's sorrow for its history of tragedy, may suffer serious flooding as the south endures some of its worst storms for decades.
Already reeling from a devastating earthquake, China hassuffered floods across its south in recent days that havekilled 57 people and forced 1.27 million to move to saferground, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The national meteorological service has also warned thatthe 5,500-km (3,400-mile) Yellow River flowing through thenorth may also see "quite large" floods this year, the officialXinhua news agency reported late on Sunday.
Heavy rain likely in the next few days would "increase thedestructiveness of flood hazards and make the flood preventionand relief situation nationwide even more serious", Xinhuacited the authority as warning.
"The national flood prevention and relief effort isentering a crucial phase."
The Yellow River, China's second longest after the Yangtze,has experienced devastating floods in the past, but in recentdecades has been more prone to water scarcity.
This year's floods have been especially heavy in Guangdong,the far southern province that is home to much of the country'sexport businesses. As of Sunday, 20 people in Guangdong haddied in the floods and eight others were missing, provincialflood officials told Xinhua.
Forecasters warned that fresh storms could lash parts ofthe Yangtze River delta region, a major manufacturing centrenear Shanghai, and parts of provinces across the east, southand southwest, including economic powerhouse Guangdong.
Many rivers in Guangdong are already dangerously swollen oroverflowing, and over 10,000 businesses there have haltedproduction because of the floods, the China News Servicereported.
Officials estimated that economic damage from the floodsacross Guangdong province amounted to 3.8 billion yuan ($540million), much of it to farms and fisheries.
Storms also recently brought havoc to Hong Kong, where theysparked flooding and landslides and resulted in closed roadsand delayed flights.
The flooding and foul weather is the latest in a string ofdisasters to befall China this year.
The same provinces were also badly hit by freak coldweather and ice storms in January and February, and parts ofthe country's southwest province of Sichuan were devastated bya May 12 quake that killed more than 69,000 people.
(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Nick Macfie andAlex Richardson)
(chris.buckley@reuters.com; +86 10 66271261)
