Meizhou in South China's Guangdong Province suffers severe flooding on June 18, 2024. Photo: VCG

Chinese water resources authorities have activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in several provinces due to the current flood situation, urging regions involved to prepare for heavy rainfall, as the plum rain season has started in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the Changjiang Water Resources Commission.

The Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday initiated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control to East China's Anhui Province and Central China's Hubei Province.

China's flood control emergency response system has four levels, with Level-I being the most severe.

The plum rain season, also known as the rainy season, features several weeks of rainy weather that occurs from mid-June to the beginning or the middle of July in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. The rainy season this year arrived slightly later than usual, but the process has been typical with heavy intensity and widespread coverage, according to the Yangtze River water resources authorities.

Continuous heavy rainfall in the southern part of the Jinsha River and the main stream of the Yangtze River has led to 30 stations in the Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake water systems exceeding warning levels. It has affected 22 rivers, with some of them experiencing significant water level rises, according to the authorities.

As of 5 pm on Wednesday, the water level had risen to 148.55 meters in Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the largest flood in the city since 1998. Local officials have evacuated 69 trapped individuals, and evacuation and rescue efforts are still ongoing, according to China Central Television.

On Wednesday morning, the National Meteorological Center continued to issue both a yellow alert for rainstorms and a yellow alert for high temperatures. Torrential rain will sweep regions including parts of East China's Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, Shanghai and parts of South China's Guangdong Province, from Wednesday to Thursday, the meteorological authority said.

In Meizhou, Guangdong, one of most flood-affected regions, the city has worked at full capacity in flooding prevention and disaster relief efforts. On Wednesday, Meizhou raised the flood control emergency response from Level-II to Level-I.

Chinese authorities have been making efforts to address floods in the southern regions and drought in the northern regions recently, including allocating disaster relief supplies, increasing funds for agricultural disaster prevention and adopting high-tech in flooding control and prevention.

In Longxia town, located in Quannan county, East China's Jiangxi Province, a mobile app is being used, which can provide real-time warnings to local officials. 

During the flood season, the app can be used to observe the rising water levels, and the main purpose is to detect and respond to flooding situations early, Dai, who is responsible for the operation of the platform, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

When the information is fed back to the backend of the platform, the staff can promptly dispatch personnel to verify the water levels. The app can also be used for forest fire prevention, road traffic safety and drowning prevention, according to Dai.