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Continuous heavy rains in southern China have caused the water level of the Yangtze River to rise, putting the eastern areas downstream of the river at risk of flooding.
Water levels in the Jiangsu region, where China’s longest river flows, continued to rise on July 3 due to the influx of water from upstream and persistent rains. The capital of Jiangsu province, Nanjing, issued its second-highest flood alert, and local authorities banned various types of vessels, including passenger ferries, from operating on the Jiangsu section of the river.
The Ministry of Water Resources said on Tuesday that water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River had exceeded warning levels. Water levels at Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, where authorities raised the flood emergency response to level II on the evening of July 2, are also being closely monitored. China's largest freshwater lake recorded its highest level of 22.6 meters in July 2020.
Heavy rains lashed parts of central China’s Hunan province earlier this week, causing the Miluo River in Pingjiang County to reach its highest level in 70 years. The local government in Hunan province has activated its highest emergency response level. State media reported flooding in parts of the town, with stranded residents being rescued by boat.
Flooding has severely affected the lives of about 340,000 people in China, while businesses have also suffered losses. One food factory said it was forced to close for five days due to water shortages, traffic disruptions and disrupted communications.
Forecasters said rainfall in southern regions is expected to gradually ease and temperatures could warm as heavy rain clouds move away. However, from the night of July 3, the heavy rain that caused flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will begin to move north. The National Meteorological Center forecast heavy rain in Sichuan, Chongqing and parts of Hubei, Henan and Shandong provinces.
