WUHAN, Jun 20, 2007 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Continuous rain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, China's longest, pushed up water levels in the middle and lower reaches, local hydrographic departments said on June 19.
The water level monitored at 8 p.m. on June 19 in Hankou, central China's Hubei province, stood at 21.47 meters, up 0.6 meters from three days ago. In Datong in the mid-lower reaches of the river, the level rose 0.86 meters to 9.94 meters.
The water influx to the Three Gorges Reservoir reached 33,300 cubic meters per second at 6 p.m. Nine sluices were opened on Tuesday to discharge part of the flood, sources with China Three Gorges Project Corporation said.
Administrators in the Three Gorges area have banned steamers with a draught of more than 4.3 meters from navigating in the area.
The water level in the Yangtze River is expected to continue rising and the water volume will remain above 30,000 cubic meters per second in the next two days due to flood waters cascading down from the upper reaches, said Wang Jun, director of the Yangtze River Hydrological Bureau.