GUANGZHOU, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The flood control and drought relief headquarters of south China's Guangdong Province upgraded its flood control emergency response to Level I at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

       The headquarters ordered governments of areas at risk to promptly suspend schools, production, traffic or businesses if necessary, sparing no efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property and minimize disaster losses.

       Persistent heavy rains have continued to batter the province, swelling rivers, triggering landslides and prompting the evacuation of residents in the past week.