China sees scattered, extreme rainfall in critical flood-control period

BEIJING -- China has experienced scattered yet concurrent extreme rainfall events during this year's flood season, which have posed serious disaster risks, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Monday.

During the critical flood-control period from July 16 to Aug 15, the water levels of 330 rivers exceeded their warning levels, including 77 that exceeded their safety-guarantee thresholds and 22 that saw their highest water levels on record, the ministry said.

The ministry activated a Level-III emergency response mechanism on three occasions and a Level-IV response mechanism on 12 occasions, implementing corresponding defense measures each time.

To cope with the floods, 37 expert teams have been sent to affected areas to provide guidance, the ministry said.

During the critical period, three typhoons made landfall in China -- one more than the historical average. The three typhoons each made two landfalls, affecting a total of 13 provincial-level regions.

The ministry has emphasized that the country is still in its main flood season, and that there remains the potential for further extreme weather events.