Heavy rains, floods likely to hit North China's Haihe River basin

BEIJING - Torrential rains are expected to hit the Haihe River basin in North China, which is likely to push water levels in some rivers above warning levels, the Ministry of Water Resources said Wednesday.

In the next three days, rainstorms are expected to lash parts of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Beijing and Tianjin. Affected by the rainstorms, some small and medium-sized rivers in these regions may see water levels exceed their warning lines, according to the forecasts.

Major reservoirs should make timely preparations for flood control, and strengthen inspections of dikes and reservoirs, the ministry said.

The ministry is currently maintaining Level III emergency response for flood and drought prevention, and has dispatched two additional working groups to Haihe River basin to assist flood control work.