The first numbered flood of 2026 appears in the Xijiang River

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, affected by rainfall, a significant flood event has occurred in the Xijiang River, part of the Pearl River Basin. At 5:30 p.m. on June 22, the flow at the Wuxuan Hydrological Station in Laibin, Guangxi rose to 25,000 cubic meters per second. In accordance with the relevant flood numbering regulations, it was designated as the "2026 No. 1 Flood of the Xijiang River," also the first numbered flood on China’s major rivers this year. The Ministry of Water Resources had already deployed flood defense work for the Xijiang River in advance, and held a consultation on the flood situation on the morning of the 22nd, maintaining a Level IV emergency response for flood defense in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou. At the same time, it issued defense notices to relevant regions and sent working groups. The Pearl River Water Resources Commission has upgraded its emergency response to Level III, continuing to strengthen monitoring, forecasting, and early warning, as well as nighttime pointtopoint reminders, and organizing the evacuation of residents to safety. In terms of operations and dispatching, several reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River have already stored floodwaters, and the Datengxia Water Conservancy Project also released water in advance to create storage capacity and continued regulating storage in accordance with the flood’s progression, so as to reduce floodcontrol pressure on the main river channel. Guangxi and Guangdong have respectively strengthened inspections and defenses against mountain floods, urban waterlogging, embankments, and reservoirs, evacuated residents in advance, prepositioned emergency rescue forces, and implemented various floodseason measures. The Ministry of Water Resources said it will continue tracking rainfall and water conditions to safeguard the lives and property of people in riverside areas.