(Yicai Global) July 8 -- Extreme weather in China has caused widespread flooding and filled many of China’s main reservoirs to the brink. Xin’an River Dam in eastern Zhejiang province opened all nine of its floodgates for the first time since it was built in 1959, releasing the equivalent of the entire Hangzhou West Lake in half an hour.

By 8 a.m. this morning, the water level at the Xin’an River Dam was 1.88 meters above the flood control line. The gates were opened at 9 a.m., releasing 7,800 cubic meters of water per second and 14 million cubic meters in total. Immediately afterwards, flood alerts went off in downstream counties as water levels rose.

The area has received almost three times the amount of rainfall it normally receives during the rainy season, amounting to a whopping 7.1 meters of rainfall since May 29. More heavy downpours are expected.

The dam has opened its sluices only six times in the last 61 years, and never before all at once.

Xin’an River Dam opens all nine of its floodgates.

Yesterday seven sluices were opened, but the water level continued to rise.

Water gushes out of the Xin'an River Dam’s nine floodgates.

The Qiantang River swells.

Water rages beneath a bridge as heavy rain continues to batter the region.

Editor: Zhang Yushuo, Kim Taylor