BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Water Resources on June 4 warned that severe floods are expected to hit the country’s major rivers this summer and called on local authorities to prepare for the floods.

Floods are expected to hit the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River, the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers in the Pearl River valley, as well as the Minjiang River, said the ministry.

The flood season came earlier than previous years, with the country’s southern region entering the flood season on March 6, 26 days earlier than previous years, the ministry said.

The country is also likely to see slightly more and stronger typhoons this year, it said.

The ministry called on local flood control authorities to step up supervision and monitoring to prepare for potential disasters.