BEIJING (Reuters) - Authorities in northwest China's Shaanxi and Gansu provinces issued emergency alerts and closed dozens of tourist sites on Thursday as heavy rain raised the risk of floods and landslides, state media reports showed.
Xian, the capital city of Shaanxi province, in early evening upgraded its rainstorm warning to the highest red level after heavy downpours caused flooding in some urban areas, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Authorities closed all valleys along the Qin Mountains range in Xian and shut down several forest parks temporarily, the report said.
Gansu's meteorological authorities upgraded their emergency response level for heavy rain to Level III from Level IV on Thursday, warning of heightened risks for disasters such as flash floods, landslides and urban flooding, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Gansu authorities issued a red alert on Thursday morning for geological disasters in some districts and counties of Longnan, warning of high risk of landslides and mudslides over the next 24 hours, CCTV reported.
A total of 61 tourist attractions in Longnan had been shut temporarily by 4 p.m. (0800 GMT), according to CCTV.
In Gansu, a landslide in a valley in early July killed 21 people.
On Sunday, 10 people died after a scenic area was hit by heavy rain that triggered flash floods.