Pearl River Flood Control Headquarters predicts: 1998 floods may recur
Original headline: Flood Control Headquarters: Major floods are quite likely in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River this year
Major floods (web illustration: Photo by Ke Xiaojun, China News Service)
According to a report by China National Radio's "News and Newspaper Summary," affected by a super El Nino phenomenon, major floods are very likely in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River this year, and the Yangtze River Flood Control Headquarters reminds all localities to prepare response plans.
Since the beginning of this year, the Yangtze River basin has entered the flood season early due to above-normal rainfall. The Xiang River and Gan River already experienced above-warning flood processes in March this year, with the start of the flood season 11 days earlier than usual. The Pearl River basin in Guangdong announced on March 21 that it had entered the flood season, 20 days earlier than in previous years.
Liu Ning, Secretary-General of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Vice Minister of Water Resources: "At present, the water levels of the main stream in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as those of Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake, are all higher than in the same period in history. Reservoirs in provinces such as Hunan and Jiangxi hold above-normal water storage. This year's overall climate conditions in China are relatively poor, and major floods are quite likely during the Yangtze River basin flood season this summer. The flood control and drought relief situation is extremely severe."
In May this year, precipitation in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, the eastern part of the Jialing River basin, the Chongqing to Yichang section, and most of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin will be 10-50% above normal, and during the main flood season, precipitation in most of the Yangtze River basin will be above normal.
Wang Renqiao, Director of the Office of the Yangtze River Basin Meteorological Center: "During this year's flood season, precipitation across the entire Yangtze River basin is forecast to be 10-50% above normal in eastern Sichuan, the Three Gorges interval, the Wujiang River basin, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, while some parts of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River will be 50-80% above normal. This will be the center of heavy precipitation."
This super El Nino event will end in May this year. It is the strongest El Nino event since the 20th century, and its characteristics are highly similar to the super El Nino event that triggered the catastrophic Yangtze River floods in 1998. The Pearl River Flood Control Headquarters predicts that floods like those in 1998 may recur in the Pearl River basin. The Yangtze River Flood Control Headquarters stated that flood control offices at all levels in the basin must closely monitor weather changes, strengthen monitoring of rainfall and water conditions, and prepare disaster prevention and mitigation response plans. (CNR Beijing, April 5, reporter Guo Miao)