Buffeted by strong convective clouds, the city of Quzhou – in China's East Zhejiang province –experienced thundershowers on the evening of May 10, accompanied by strong short-term heavy precipitation, thunder and lightning and a force of 8-10 gale, meteorologists reported.

The municipal meteorological station issued an orange alert for a strong gale and a yellow alert — the third-highest level in the four-tiered warning system — on the morning of May 11.

The city's Party cadres and officials from relevant authorities — in a bid to guarantee safe traveling for residents – stayed on alert overnight on May 10, organizing teams to row out to water-damaged residences, cleaning up fallen trees and repairing streetlights thorough the whole city.

Tips for traveling during rainstorms

Walking in a storm

Stay away from dangerous areas — such as billboards, transformers and poles. Keep away from temporary walls on construction sites and walls that have been built on hillsides. Do not rashly wade into water and keep an eye out for puddles and manhole covers.

Driving in a storm

Check your car's hood and doors and the windshield wipers and brakes before driving, in case of any car breakdown. Slow down when driving, keep your safe distance from cars in front and behind and  turn on your fog lights in case of poor visibility.

Change into lower gears and dive slowly and steadily when encountering water on the road and make sure that the water does not rise above half the level of your wheels. Stay calm if the engine stalls when driving through a flooded area. In which case, you need to evacuate the danger area quickly before the water level rises.

Outdoors

Don't allow your body to be above the other objects around you – and if riding a bike, proceed slowly in the rain. If lightning strikes above, place your feet together, squat down in nearby low-lying areas, with your back flat and your head low.

If you can't get away from a tall and large objects, place dry insulators on the floor and sit on it with your feet together. If you are outdoors, you must on the alert for damaged power lines or high-voltage towers broken by lightning.

Indoors

Don't use solar water heaters to take a shower during thunderstorms. Switch off the power in your home and stay away from doors, windows and water pipes.