Torrential rain

A total of 99 people have been killed in the torrential rains in the downtown area of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of central China's Henan province, the local government said. The accumulated rainfall reached 449 mm on average in Zhengzhou from 6 pm Sunday to midnight Tuesday.

河南省政府表示，截至目前，暴雨已造成郑州市区99人死亡。7月18日18时至21日0时，郑州累积平均降水量达449毫米。

【知识点】

从气象上来说，24小时降水量（24-hour precipitation）为50毫米或以上的雨称为“暴雨”（rainstorm/ downpour/ torrential rain）。特大暴雨是一种灾害性天气（disastrous weather），往往造成“洪涝灾害”（flood），在山区还会引发“山体滑坡”（landslide）和“泥石流”（debris flow）。Landslide（山体滑坡）是暴雨使山体不堪重负，由山体薄弱地带断开整体下滑，而debris flow（泥石流）是暴雨使沙土石达到水饱和，在重力的作用下液化的泥沙石向低洼处流动。

Zhengzhou received average precipitation of 457.5 mm within 24 hours to 5 pm Tuesday, the highest daily rainfall since the weather record began. The city also reported record-high hourly precipitation of 201.9 mm between 4 pm and 5 pm on Tuesday, the Henan provincial meteorological center said.

河南省气象中心表示，截至7月20日17时，郑州24小时平均降雨量457.5毫米，超过有气象记录以来极值。7月20日16-17时，郑州降雨量达201.9毫米，超过我国陆地小时降雨量极值。

Rainstorms caused severe waterlogging, traffic disruptions, and power outages in Zhengzhou.

暴雨导致郑州市区出现严重内涝，交通受到严重影响，电力中断。

【词汇讲解】

precipitation  [prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn] (technical 术语) 降水量(包括雨、雪、冰等)

torrential rain/ downpour/ rainstorm/ driving rain 暴雨(倾盆大雨)

It never rains but it pours 祸不单行

flood / deluge 洪水

landslide 山体滑坡

debris flow 泥石流

power outage 电力中断

Waterlog在词典中的解释是to cause (a boat, ship, etc.) to become uncontrollable as a result of flooding（船只等被水淹后失控）或者to become saturated with water（被水浸透），在这里的语境下表示很多地方都被水淹了。在暴雨中被淹的车辆我们可以用waterlogged vehicles表示，即“涉水车辆”。

More than 160 trains stopped services at Zhengzhoudong Railway Station, stranding a large number of passengers.

郑州东站160余趟列车停运，造成大量旅客滞留。

The severe waterlogging has led to the virtual paralysis of the city's road traffic. Over 80 bus lines have been suspended, more than 100 temporarily detoured, and the subway service has also been temporarily suspended.

严重内涝导致郑州路面交通基本瘫痪。80多条公交线路停运，100多条线路临时绕行，地铁暂停运营。

Both Henan provincial and Zhengzhou municipal flood control and drought relief headquarters have raised the emergency response for meteorological disasters to level I.

河南省和郑州市防汛抗旱总指挥部均将防汛应急响应级别提升为Ⅰ级。

meteorological disasters 气象灾害

drought relief 抗旱

flood control and drought relief headquarter 防汛抗旱总指挥部

China’s central government has upgraded the nationwide flood control emergency response level from Level III to Level II at 3:00 am Wednesday local time, according to the relevant provisions of the State Emergency Plan for Flood Control and Drought Relief.

根据《国家防汛抗旱应急预案》有关规定，国家防总决定于7月21日3时将防汛Ⅲ级应急响应提升至Ⅱ级。

provision （法律文件的）规定，条款