ZHENGZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) — 1,800 firefighters have been dispatched from seven provinces of China to help battle rain-triggered floods in the central Henan Province.Extremely heavy rainfall hit Henan on Tuesday, with precipitation in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, exceeding the highest level on local weather records, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM).The rainstorm has caused the water level in a reservoir to rise rapidly, said the ministry, adding that all local residents downstream have been relocated in advance.From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, the average rainfall in Zhengzhou was 458.2 mm, with accumulated precipitation in some areas even surpassing the city’s total average yearly rainfall, according to the China Meteorological Administration.Henan Province on Wednesday initiated the highest level of emergency response to the floods.Produced by Xinhua Global Service
