The Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday announced that the Weihe River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River, has experienced its 2024 "No.1 Flood," a classification given to the first flood to reach a certain standard of severity in a single river each year.
The water level of the Weihe River surges in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China, July 17, 2024. /CFP
At 3:42 a.m., the water flow at the Xianyang hydrological station rose to 3,000 cubic meters per second, while at 4:00 a.m. the water flow at the Lintong hydrological station rose to 3,120 cubic meters per second, both reaching the flood standard set by the ministry.
The ministry said it will closely monitor the weather and urged local authorities to ramp up efforts in response to the flooding and evacuate residents if necessary.
The flood control and drought relief headquarters of the Yellow River activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in the Yellow River on Tuesday, and the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office on Thursday sent an additional working team to the northwestern Shaanxi Province to aid local flood relief efforts.
China has a four-tier flood-control emergency-response system, with Level I being the most severe response.
(Cover: The water level of the Weihe River surges in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China, July 17, 2024. /CFP)