China reports 'No1 flood' of 2025 in major rivers amid heavy rain

TIANJIN -- Water conservancy authorities on Monday announced China's No 1 flood of major rivers of 2025 in the Luanhe River, located in North China's Haihe River Basin.

Due to recent heavy rainfall, the Luanhe River has experienced a rise in water levels. At 4:30 am on Monday, the inflow rate at the Panjiakou Reservoir on the main stream of the Luanhe River rose to 2,270 cubic meters per second, according to the Haihe River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources.

Based on relevant standards, this marks the occurrence of the first flood of 2025 for the Luanhe River -- also the first for all major rivers in the country in 2025.

A maximum inflow rate of about 4,000 cubic meters per second is expected at the Panjiakou Reservoir on Monday night.

Beijing, also located in the Haihe River Basin, has been experiencing heavy rainfall over the past few days. Torrential rains, notably, have resulted in the evacuation of more than 3,000 residents in Beijing's suburban district of Miyun.

China has been numbering floods since 1998. This practice can remind the public of which rivers are flooding and enhance public awareness of flood risk prevention. It also alerts flood control departments about the potential risk of embankment failures and the need to strengthen patrols and inspections of embankments and flood prevention work.