Beijing, July 24 Multiple regions across northern China activated flood emergency responses on Thursday as meteorological forecasts predicted heavy rainfall over the coming days.
The Beijing municipal government has upgraded its rainstorm warning to yellow, the third highest, and activated citywide flood-control emergency response measures.
The Haihe River flood control and drought relief headquarters and the river administration in neighbouring Tianjin Municipality simultaneously activated Level IV emergency responses for flood control and prevention at 3 pm, anticipating moderate to heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday in the basin, which will raise water levels in main rivers and tributaries.
Earlier in the day, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region escalated its emergency response for torrential rain meteorological disasters from Level IV to Level III, as some parts of the region are expected to receive accumulated rainfall exceeding 100 mm, with localized highs potentially reaching 180mm, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.
Jilin Province in northeast China also initiated a Level IV flood and drought disaster prevention response at 4 pm Central and western parts of the province face heavy rain, increasing flood and waterlogging risks in several cities and rivers.
Also at 3 pm, Hebei launched a Level IV flood defence emergency response for key cities. Heavy rain to downpours are forecast overnight, Xinhua news agency reported.
Authorities in those regions directed responsible departments to enhance monitoring and forecasting, issue timely warnings, strengthen inspections of levees and reservoirs, and rigorously implement defences to protect lives and property. The public is urged to remain vigilant against secondary disasters triggered by the extreme weather.
China is also experiencing record-breaking temperatures since the start of the flood season, with heatwaves arriving earlier and persisting longer than usual, the National Climate Centre said on Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the flood season, the average number of hot days across the country has reached 8.5, the highest ever for the same period. Meanwhile, the average temperature was the second-highest on record, Jia Xiaolong, deputy head of the centre, told a press conference.
A total of 45 national weather stations logged record-high daily temperatures, with Shaanxi's Xingping hitting 43.1 degrees Celsius.
On July 2, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a high-temperature health risk warning, the first of its kind in history.
China has made adapting to climate change a priority. Notably, in 2024, the country released a national plan to build early warning systems for climate-related health risks.
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