China flood alert: 52 rivers exceed warning levels across multiple provinces

China is facing significant flood risks as 52 rivers remain above warning levels across multiple provinces, including Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia. The Ministry of Water Resources reports that 28 of these rivers are currently maintaining protective levels, with the maximum warning margin reaching 4.27 meters.

Authorities have warned of a potential large-scale flood in the Taihu Lake basin due to heavy rainfall and upstream water inflow. Specific rivers, including the Chuhé (a tributary of the Yangtze), the middle reaches of the Huai River, and the Dongjiang section of the Heilongjiang River, are expected to remain above warning levels. In Sichuan, the Minjiang and Qingyiang rivers are also experiencing rising water levels, and an orange warning for mountain torrents has been issued for north-central Sichuan.

In response, multiple emergency levels have been activated. Jiangsu and Henan are under level-three flood control emergency responses, while Zhejiang and Anhui are under level-four responses. In Henan, emergency crews have successfully repaired three dike breaches in Pingdingshan, Zhoukou, and Yanling. Meteorological forecasts indicate that heavy to torrential rain will continue across several regions, including parts of Guangdong, Yunnan, and the Sichuan Basin, with some areas seeing precipitation significantly higher than seasonal averages.