China’s Ministry of Water Resources predicted on the 1st that from July to August, China as a whole will experience a pattern of “northern floods and southern droughts,” with particularly heavy flooding in the north. Some regions may suffer repeated occurrences of torrential rain and floods, and strong typhoons may strike the north, creating a high disaster risk. Meanwhile, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River—Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake river systems, and the Qiantang and Minjiang rivers—may experience periods of drought.
According to Xinhua News Agency, with China fully entering the main flood season as of the 1st, Li Guoying, Deputy Commander of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Minister of Water Resources, chaired a special meeting on the flood season in the morning. He also held video conferences with the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, Hai, Pearl, and Songliao water resources committees as well as the Taihu Basin Authority, to analyze and assess the national flood and drought situation for July and August, and to arrange and deploy disaster prevention work for the main flood season.
The report predicts that the overall pattern from July to August will be “northern floods and southern droughts,” with particularly severe flooding in the north. Some areas may experience frequent and repeated torrential rain and flooding, along with strong typhoons heading northwards and impacting northern regions, posing high disaster risks.
Among these areas, between July and August, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Yishu-Sishui river system in the Huaihe River basin, the Zhangwei, Ziya, Daqing, and Yongding rivers in the Haihe River basin, the Liao and Huntai rivers in the Songliao basin, as well as the Jilin section of the Songhua River, could all possibly experience floods. During the same period, 4 to 5 typhoons may make landfall in or significantly affect China.
In contrast to the flood risks in the northern regions mentioned above, the predictions highlight that, between July and August, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River’s Dongting and Poyang lake systems, as well as the Qiantang and Minjiang rivers, and the central and northern parts of Xinjiang, may experience temporary droughts.
The report said that Li Guoying required the immediate launch of the main flood season “weekly consultations + emergency flood consultation” mechanism, as well as the comprehensive implementation of the flood and drought disaster prevention system. He also proposed eight requirements, including ensuring the safe passage of the flood season for medium and small reservoirs, especially “problematic and dangerous reservoirs,” which must in principle be operated at empty storage during the flood season to guarantee dams do not fail.