File photo: VCG

Major floods may occur in parts of Haihe and Songliao river basins during August, according to the Office of China’s National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief and the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), which jointly released the August disaster outlook at a Tuesday press conference, China Central Television reported. 

In August, all seven major river basins in China will enter the flood season. Parts of North China, Northeast China, East China, South China and Southwest China face a higher risk of floods, storm, and hail-related disasters. Significant flooding may occur in Haihe and Songliao river basins, authorities said. 

Two to three typhoons are expected to make landfall or affect the country, with one likely to impact areas north of the Yangtze River. 

According to Shen Zhanli, a spokesperson for the MEM, it is still in the critical flood control period of late July and early August, a time when heavy rainfall, flooding and geological disasters frequently occur. 

Shen urged the public to closely follow weather forecasts and warnings during periods of heavy rain, avoid dangerous areas such as rivers, mountainous regions, and low-lying areas and plan travel routes in advance. She also advised against crossing flooded roads or bridges blindly. 

Starting Monday, 13 rivers across China including Shaoguan section of the Beijiang River in South China’s Guangdong and Chaohe River in Beijing, have experienced water levels above warning thresholds. The water level of Taihu Lake has exceeded the warning level by 0.07 meters, CCTV reported. 

The Ministry of Water Resources has issued a notice to the Pearl River Water Resources Commission and 13 provinces and regions, reminding them to ensure the safety of reservoirs and dams during flood season and to strengthen prevention efforts against flooding in small and medium-sized rivers as well as mountain flash floods. 

Moreover, the flood disaster prevention leadership team of Guangdong’s Water Resources Department raised its emergency response level from III to II at 8 am on Tuesday, after meteorological data showed heavy rainstorms in 56 counties and forecast continued rainfall in the coming days. 

As of 9 am on Tuesday, nine monitoring stations in Guangdong had recorded water levels above the warning threshold, and four rivers had exceeded warning levels. 

In Guangxi, multiple cities issued red alerts for heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning. Local authorities warned of mountain flash floods, geological disasters, and urban and rural waterlogging. 

Global Times