Evacuees from the Hongze Lake region in Jiangsu Province, east China, have begun a phased return to their homes as the water level of the lake gradually recedes, the provincial flood control headquarters said Friday.

As the water level at the Jiangba hydrological station at Hongze Lake was 14.25 meters at 2 p.m. Friday, 0.75 meters above the warning level, the headquarters called on authorities concerned to ensure the safety of returning evacuees.

A total of 15.2 billion cubic meters of water has been divertedfrom Hongze Lake since the start of the flood season. The lake is the country's fourth largest freshwater lake and is located on thelower reaches of the flooding Huaihe River.

The water level of the lake is expected to remain high, and further flood control work in the Huaihe River will be necessary in the coming weeks.

By 8 a.m. Friday, the water volume flow of the Yangtze River measured 58,200 cubic meters per second, a new record.

Meanwhile, the water level in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, is currently 9.23 meters, 0.73 meters above the warning level, while that of Lake Taihu, also in Jiangsu, remains at 3.33 meters, 0.17 meters below the warning standard.

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