China intensifies disaster control efforts as torrential rain leads more floods

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China's flood control efforts have entered a critical phase, with 33 rivers nationwide exceeding warning levels by Monday, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Triggered by persistent heavy downpours, 22 rivers in Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang and Guizhou have reported floods exceeding alert marks. Meanwhile, 11 rivers in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province saw above warning-line floods.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised the emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan, following the decision by the national observatory to issue red alerts for rainstorms in these areas.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most urgent response, and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

The flood prevention situation of the Yangtze River basin becomes rather stern, as water levels in the tributaries of the Poyang Lake basin have exceeded warning levels, and the water level in the main stream of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River continued to rise, according to the Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources.

Over the following 10 days, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will experience extreme heavy rainfall, potentially causing flooding in both tributaries and the main stream, according to the commission's forecast.

China is sparing no efforts in combating the flooding. The local governments have decided to increase the outflow of the Three Gorges Reservoir, starting from Tuesday, in preparation for subsequent floods.

One more work team will be sent to Zhejiang to assist in local flood prevention efforts, said the State's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, adding that work teams dispatched to Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan will continue their work there.

China's National Meteorological Center on Monday morning renewed a red alert for rainstorms as heavy rainfall is expected in several regions of the country.

From Monday to Sunday, continuous torrential rain is expected to lash parts of the regions south of the Yangtze River, the Jianghan Plain, and regions along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.