China’s Politburo orders rapid-response overhaul in the face of floods and extreme heat

2-MIN READ2-MIN1ListenPublished: 8:05pm, 30 Jun 2026Updated: 8:28pm, 30 Jun 2026China’s top leadership has warned of the dangers of extreme weather and the need for better forecasting and disaster prevention, according to state media.The Politburo issued the warning at its first flood and drought prevention meeting for the year in Beijing on Tuesday, a gathering chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.The Politburo urged local governments to take “forceful” measures against drought, flooding and typhoons, to “always put the safety of people’s lives first”, evacuate in a timely manner and prevent mass casualties.05:00A ‘super’ El Nino is forming: what is it, and what’s coming?“It is essential to ensure the flood control safety of major rivers, large lakes and key water bodies, and to comprehensively strengthen the regulation of river and lake flood discharge spaces,” it said, according to a Xinhua report on Tuesday.