Photo taken on July 5, 2018 shows water discharging from the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, in central China's Hubei Province. At 8 a.m. of July 5, the reservoir faced an inflow of 51,000 cubic meters per second and an outflow of 40,000 cubic meters per second. The first flood of the Yangtze River this year has formed on its upper reaches. (Xinhua/Zheng Jiayu)

WUHAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Three Gorges reservoir is preparing for the first flood of the year, according to the Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Heavy rain in the upper streams of the Yangtze River around July 4 has resulted in flooding.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, the reservoir saw an inflow of 51,000 cubic meters per second. The headquarters ordered the reservoir to cut its outflow to 40,000 cubic meters per second.

Meanwhile, the reservoir's power station began to run at full capacity starting July 3.

Another round of heavy rain in the upper streams of the Yangtze is expected from July 8, according to the headquarters.