Floods to hit major river basins in August: ministry

BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday warned of flooding in some of the country's major river basins in mid-to-late August.

During the period, water levels are likely to exceed the warning levels in some sections of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Haihe River, with typhoons triggering regional downpours and floods, said minister of water resources Li Guoying.

The risk of floods is also mounting in major rivers in northeast China, Li said, adding that some sections will see very high water levels persisting into September.

To brace for floods, Li called for efforts to make full use of water projects such as reservoirs, while ramping up patrols of dams.

The ministry is currently maintaining a level-IV emergency response to floods and droughts. It has a four-tier emergency response system for such disasters, with level I representing the most severe.