A recent cold wave sweeping across vast regions of China has slowed the thawing of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, heightening concerns over potential ice-jam floods and prompting local authorities to bolster flood control measures.
Ice-jam floods are a common occurrence on the Yellow River—the country’s second-longest river—during early winter and spring. Fluctuating temperatures cause the river to freeze and thaw, leading to ice flows that can jam the channel, potentially damaging or flooding riverbanks.
As of January 7, the downstream section of the Yellow River in east China’s Shandong Province had completely thawed, 38 days earlier than the recent average. Similarly, by February 11, the river segment in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region had fully thawed, eight days earlier than usual.
However, between February 20 and 21, central and eastern regions of China experienced strong rainfalls and snowfalls due to the impact of the latest cold wave. This weather event could potentially cause certain sections of the Yellow River to freeze again, prolonging the thawing process.
“Affected by the cold wave, temperatures in the Yellow River basin are expected to remain relatively low from February 20 to 22, which will lead to a slowdown of the thawing process along the river’s upper and middle reaches,” said Zhang Bingduo, director of the flood control division at the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention of the Ministry of Water Resources. “Currently, there are still 687.5 kilometers of frozen sections in the Yellow River, mostly in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the middle reaches region. But overall, the melting of the ice on the river is going smoothly.”
Local water departments continue to enhance ice-flood control measures to ensure safety during the river’s thawing period. Authorities are closely monitoring weather patterns and river conditions to mitigate risks associated with the delayed thaw.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
