The first flood to hit southeast China's Han River in the Pearl River basin this year occurred on Sunday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR).

Due to heavy rainfall, the water level of the Sanheba hydrological station, which is located in south China's Guangdong Province, rose to 42.01 meters at 4:40 p.m. Sunday, exceeding the alert line by 0.01 meters, the ministry said.

The water level along the Han River is forecast to peak at 42.5 meters around midnight, exceeding the warning level by 0.5 meters, said the MWR.

The ministry has warned the neighboring provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi to brace for heavy rainfall, and urged local authorities to strengthen inspection along the river and take precautionary measures for flood control.

Work teams have been dispatched by the Water Resources Department of Guangdong Province to guide and assist flood-control efforts.

The Beijiang River in the Pearl River basin reported its first flood of the year at 6:35 a.m. Sunday, which marks the first major-river flood in China this year.