HEFEI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Yangtze River, China's longest river, has seen water levels in its section in the eastern province of Anhui exceed their warning marks, and levels continue to rise, local authorities said on Sunday.
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, water levels at the hydrological stations of Anqing, Datong, Wuhu and Maanshan in the Yangtze's trunk stream have exceeded their warning marks by between 20 centimeters and 42 centimeters, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Torrential rains have also pushed waters above their alert levels in another 19 rivers in the province.
Local authorities have ordered 24-hour patrols of dikes and reservoirs, and the timely evacuation of people living in regions prone to flooding.
China's Yangtze River is experiencing its 2024 "No.1 Flood," according to the Ministry of Water Resources, as water levels at the Jiujiang hydrological station, one of the major monitoring sites for main stream water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, have risen to 20 meters, reaching their warning level at 2 p.m. Friday.
The ministry raised the emergency flood response level to Level III in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan on Friday, and urgently dispatched four additional working teams to provide guidance for flood relief efforts. ■
