On July 18, 2016, Mr. Chen Lei, Deputy Commander of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Minister of Water Resources, chaired the consultation meeting to implement the important instructions of Premier Li Keqiang on the safety of Yangtze River embankment, analyze the current national flood situation, and arrange the flood control work in the critical period of late July and early August.

With the combined effects of cold and warm air, from July 18 to 21 there will be a dynamic rainfall process in the east part of Northwest, the southwest part of Northeast, the south of the Yangtze River and the east and north parts of North China. The accumulated rainfall will reach 50 – 80mm, and the strongest precipitation will occur in July 19. With the effect of this rainfall, water level will obviously increase in the middle reach of Yellow River, Daqing River and Zhangwei River of Haihe River, and Liaohe River, and some tributaries may exceed warning level.

The consultation meeting believed that the overall situation of flood control currently turned to be good but also needed to be highly altered. One hand, water level of Taihu Lake continuously declines to the safe level of 4.65 meters and it is forecasted that the rainfall in the Taihu Lake Basin will constantly reduce in the next 10 days. This is beneficial to for the drainage in Taihu Lake. Water level in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River maintains the tendency of slow decrease, and the future lower rainfall will be good for the continuous decline of water level in the Yangtze River basin. On the other hand, affected by the strong El Nino, the uncertainty of weather forecast goes up. In the short future Yellow River, Haihe River, Liaohe River and Songhua River Basins will be confronted with heavy rainfall, and especially the main dikes of Songhua River, Nenjiang River and Heilongjiang River are still under the process of reinforcement after experiencing the severe flood in 2013. Their flood control capability are relatively weak, so the flood control situation is still tough.

Minister Chen Lei stressed to conscientiously implement the important instructions of Premier Li Keqiang, and fully and earnestly prepare for all the work of flood control in the critical period of late July and early August. He further instructed the followings.1. Continuously carry out flood control in the Taihu Lake Basin. 2. Highlight the strengthening of the Yangtze River in the water withdrawal period. 3. Highly emphasize flood control in the Haihe River Basin. 4. Try utmost to manage flood control in the Songliao Basin. 5. Enhance the prevention of the weak links in the Yellow River Basin. 6. Further increase the intensity of guidance and support. 7. Strengthen the positive publicity and public opinion guidance. 8. Earnestly carry out typhoon forecast and response.