Minister of Water Resources of the Yangtze River Commission: This year's water level in the Yangtze River basin during the flood season is below normal.

Reporters learned from the Yangtze River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources that the overall climate in the Yangtze River basin in 2026 is expected to deviate. It is predicted that during the flood season, the rainfall in the Yangtze River basin will be normal to slightly below normal, and the water inflow will be below average, but the distribution of rainfall will be uneven in time and space. Based on the latest predictions of climate factors such as sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation patterns, during the 2026 flood season, the rainfall in the basin will be normal to slightly below normal, but the distribution of rainfall will be uneven. In particular, the upper reaches of the Yangtze River will be normal, while the middle and lower reaches will be slightly below normal. The main flood season in the Yangtze River basin is expected to have below-normal rainfall, with the upper reaches being normal and the middle and lower reaches being below normal, with a possible decrease of more than 20% near the mainstream of the middle reaches.