ISTANBUL

China on Friday activated a level-4 emergency plan to address expected flooding in at least 13 provinces.

The country's Water Resources Ministry said the top-level emergency alert has been issued in eastern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, as well as Chongqing and Guizhou in southwestern China, along with Gansu and Shaanxi in the northwest of the country, Beijing-based daily Global Times reported.

These areas are expected to experience intense rainfall from Friday until Sunday.

Several typhoons and floods have hit China in recent days, bringing devastation and killing dozens of people.

In northwest China, a 10-day heat wave is forecast to begin on Friday, with temperatures reaching 40C (104F) in some areas.