Yangtze River situation ‘very grave’, as torrential rain puts pressure on flood control

Communities along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are expected to take another battering from heavy rain from today, adding to pressure on flood defences as water in the Yangtze, its tributaries and lakes persists at dangerous levels.

The China Meteorological Administration forecast torrential rain for parts of Hubei, Anhui, Sichuan, Chongqing, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces until Saturday.

More heavy bands of rain are also forecast to hit the Yangtze basin later this month, according to Chen Min, a deputy director of the Yangtze flood control office.

“There is huge pressure for flood control, and the situation remains very grave,” Chen told a press conference on Monday evening.

The Yangtze river basin has recorded 27 instances of heavy rainfall since March and the total precipitation is about 20 per cent higher than in an average year, Chen said.