AFFECTED by heavy rains from Friday, water levels of 21 rivers in East China’s Jiangxi and Fujian provinces have risen above the alert marks, the Ministry of Water Resources said Sunday.

The country has reported more precipitation than usual, the ministry said. While water levels are low in large rivers and lakes compared to previous years, some small and medium-sized rivers have seen floods rise above warning levels.

The ministry said it has sent working groups to flood-hit regions like Jiangxi, and it will make due arrangements to help other areas guard against river and mountain floods.

Meanwhile, four local cadres went missing Sunday morning while taking part in a flood control inspection in Xinluo District of Longyan City, East China’s Fujian Province.

Fujian’s flood control and drought relief headquarters activated a level-IV emergency response for flood control Saturday , as the province has been grappling with an increase in torrential rains.

Data from the provincial meteorological department shows that from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Sunday, 652 towns and townships in 64 county-level regions of Fujian each saw cumulative rainfall in excess of 50 mm, with 261 towns and townships reporting precipitation surpassing 100 mm.

A total of 164 residents of Guangze County, which saw cumulative rainfall of 377 mm in 48 hours, have been evacuated as persistent downpours have caused potential hazards, posing a threat to their safety.

The four missing cadres were among more than 2,000 local officials taking part in flood control and rescue work in Xinluo District, where cumulative rainfall was 247.8 mm by 7 a.m. Sunday, breaking a record set since 1961 for the highest daily precipitation in May. Over 500 personnel have been dispatched to take part in the search and rescue operation of the missing persons.

Nearly 500,000 people in Jiangxi have been affected as heavy rains lashed the province from Friday through Sunday, and about 14,000 of them have been evacuated, the provincial flood and drought control headquarters said Sunday.

According to the National Meteorological Center, the monthly precipitation in most areas to the south of the Yangtze River was expected to approach or exceed the maximum rainfall ever recorded in May.

Since the end of March, 50 rivers in six provinces have breached their danger marks. Flooding this year has been particularly severe, with the average rainfall nationwide having increased by 6% compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

(Xinhua, China Daily)