BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Tuesday sent a work team to southwest China's Guizhou Province to assist and guide flood control and disaster relief work, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

Rescuers work at the site where a pickup truck plunged into a river in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 18, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Three previously dispatched work teams are still working in key areas of Hunan, Hubei and Guangxi, while the headquarters continued to maintain a level-IV emergency response for flood control in Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with level I being the most severe response.

A joint consultation was held on Tuesday with meteorological, water resources and natural resources authorities, as well as relevant provincial-level regions, to assess the development trends of the latest round of heavy rainfall and arrange flood control and disaster relief work in key areas.

The current round of heavy rainfall is the strongest since the start of this year's flood season, according to the consultation. The main rain belt has shifted further eastward and southward, with heavy downpours still expected in Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Shandong and Anhui.

Some areas have saturated soil and relatively high water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, further increasing the risks of mountain torrents, geological disasters, overflowing of small and medium-sized rivers, and urban waterlogging.

Local authorities and relevant departments have been urged to remain on high alert, put people's lives first, and make solid efforts in flood control and disaster relief.