China's flood control authority, the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, on Sunday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in most parts of Beijing, the whole area of Tianjin, central southern Hebei and central northern Shanxi.

The activation came after the country's meteorological authorities forecast heavy to torrential rain in these areas. The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for heavy rain at 6 p.m. Beijing Time on the same day.