Mongolia issues warning of spring floods in capital

The Emergency Commission of Mongolia's capital on Thursday issued a warning of spring floods.

"A projected sudden warmer temperature can cause snow and ice to melt quickly, increasing the risk for flash floods in at least 30 locations in Ulan Bator," the commission said in a statement.

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has ordered the evacuation of residents who may be affected by floods, according to the government's press office.

Ulan Bator is home to around half of the Asian country's population of 3.5 million.

This winter, Mongolia has seen a lot more snow than usual and around 90 percent of the country's total territory has so far been covered with snow up to 100 cm thick, according to the country's weather monitoring agency.

xinhua