Second Yangtze Flood Peak Approaches WuhanThe second flood peak on the Yangtze, China's longest river, is passing through the river's most dangerous section in southwestern Hubei Province and is approaching Wuhan, the provincial capital.Information from the Yangtze River Flood Control Headquarters said when the second flood crest passed Shashi City, site of an important hydrological station on the middle reaches of the Yangtze, at 23:00 hours yesterday, the water level in the main stream of the river was recorded at 43.12 m, and the water flow was 43,300 cu m per second. By this morning, the water level fell slightly back to 43.08 m, but still 0.08 meters above the danger line. The water level of the Yangtze monitored at Jianli rose to 35. 54 meters this morning, exceeding the danger line of 35 m. The flood peak will pass through Jianli tonight, said the sources. The temporary shiplock on the famed Three Gorges Dam Project has remained closed to navigation since July 17, when the second flood peak passed the Three Gorges area, driving up the water level in the Yangtze to an alarming height and making navigation unsafe. According to the sources, the second flood peak is expected to reach Wuhan on July 23. By then, the water level there will rise to 25.25 m. |
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