Nation prepares for severe floods, droughts

China has entered a critical period for flood control, with preparatory measures underway as the country readies for adverse weather conditions in the coming weeks, officials said on Wednesday.

Fu Jing, director of the Ministry of Water Resources' information center, said forecasts indicate the country will face significant regional and periodic droughts and floods between late July and early August. The northern region, in particular, is expected to see more severe flooding, with frequent and intense rainstorms in some areas.

Major flooding may occur along the middle reaches of the Yellow River; the Daqing, Yongding and Beisan rivers in the Haihe River Basin; and the Liaohe, Huntai and Jilin sections of the Songhua River in the Songliao Basin, Fu said.