East China province upgrades flood response level
Water is released from Xin'an River reservoir on July 7, 2020, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
As heavy rains swelled rivers and lakes, and are forecast to continue, east China's Zhejiang Province on Tuesday raised its flooding emergency response level to the top level along the Qiantang River.
As of 7pm on Tuesday, the water level of Xin'an River Reservoir, an important flood control project in the upper reaches of the Qiantang River, had reached 108.05 meters, exceeding the normal water storage level. The water level will continue to rise and is expected to reach a record high, said the provincial flood control authorities.
The reservoir opened spillways for the first time in nine years on Tuesday to lower the crest of the floods.
The provincial water resources authorities said on Tuesday that many rivers in the province's main plain area had seen waters rise above the alert levels.
Meteorological authorities predicted that intense rain will last in the northern and central parts of Zhejiang into the following days.
