Yangtze River in China is experiencing its second flood of 2024, according to Xinhua News Agency. The first major flood in Asia's longest river was reported in late June in the lower reaches.
The water inflow into the Three Gorges Dam reservoir reached 50,000 m3/s at 6 PM on July 11, pushing the reservoir's water level to 161.1 meters, the highest in July's history, according to China's Ministry of Water Resources.
Previously, the water level in the Three Gorges Dam reservoir reached 159.9 meters on July 10, 15 meters higher than normal.
On July 10, the Three Gorges Dam released its first flood of the year. At that time, the water flow into the Three Gorges Dam reservoir reached 31,000 m3/s.
The Three Gorges Dam opened its floodgates to alleviate concerns about flood control upstream of the world's largest hydroelectric project as rains moved westward along the Yangtze River, China Daily reported.
According to China's Ministry of Water Resources, the discharge rate from the two floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei Province, gradually increased from 27,000 m3/s to 31,000 m3/s.
The latest flood news from the Global Times indicates that since the beginning of this week, the area affected by rain and floods in the Yangtze River basin has shifted from the middle and lower reaches to the upper reaches of China's longest river.
Weather forecast in China predicts continuous heavy rain along the upper reaches of the river for the next 10 days, and a new flood will enter the Three Gorges Dam reservoir area on July 16.
Additionally, a flood with a peak flow of 45,000 m3/s entered the reservoir in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River on July 12, and two other significant flood peaks are expected to occur in mid-July.
In recent weeks, southern China has recorded persistent heavy rains.
As of July 11, six people died in Dianjiang County, Chongqing City, after heavy rains. The city government has activated emergency response to natural disasters and flood control in many districts and counties.
From July 10-11, heavy rain swept through 26 districts and counties of Chongqing, including five districts and counties such as Changshou and Fengdu, which experienced extremely heavy rainfall.
Fifteen rivers in Chongqing have exceeded the warning level, while four other rivers have flood levels exceeding the safety level.
China's Ministry of Water Resources has issued emergency flood response measures in several provinces and dispatched five working groups to Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui to guide flood relief efforts.
The Ministry of Water Resources China also called for efforts to enhance flood monitoring and early warning, strengthen dike patrols, and relocate people living in flood-prone areas to safety.
After China entered the rainy season, many areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have endured persistent torrential rains. As a result, water levels at 185 hydrological stations exceeded the flood warning mark on July 2.
During this time, the Three Gorges Dam played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of water from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, significantly alleviating the flood control situation in the lower reaches, according to China's Ministry of Water Resources.
