Flood fears in China's east as rain swells Yangtze River levels

3/7/2024 17:39

        Rising water levels in the Yangtze River following intense rains in southern China have prompted eastern regions downstream to prepare for possible flooding.
        
        Water levels in the Jiangsu section of China's longest river continued to rise on Wednesday as a result of the increased flow from its upper reaches as well as the persistent rainfall.
        
        Nanjing, the capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province issued its second highest flood warning and authorities banned various vessels, including passenger ferries, from entering or operating in the river's Jiangsu section, state media reported.
        
        China's Ministry of Water Resources had said on Tuesday that water levels in sections of the middle and lower courses of the Yangtze River exceeded the warning mark.
        
        Water levels at Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province, where authorities had activated a second-level response for flood control since Tuesday night, were also being closely watched.
        
        The country's largest freshwater lake logged its highest water level in July 2020 at 22.6 metres.