China continues to battle flood in Pearl River basin

BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources is intensifying precautionary measures against flooding as heavy rain continues to lash southern China.

The ministry has forecasted heavy rainfall to continue across the country's southern and southwestern regions from Wednesday to Friday, with rainstorms hitting parts of the Pearl River basin.

Affected by heavy downpours, water levels in three of the basin's rivers -- the Beijiang, Dongjiang and Hanjiang rivers -- are expected to exceed warning levels, the ministry said.

The ministry has strengthened forecasts, early warnings and contingency measures in flood prevention work and carried out real-time monitoring of reservoirs and waterways in the Pearl River basin.

As rainstorms add risk of floods and mountain torrents in some small and medium-sized rivers in Beijiang River, the ministry will monitor the weather closely and strengthen consultation, research and information transmission.

The current situation in the Beijiang, Dongjiang and Hanjiang rivers remains generally stable. As heavy rainfall continues, more flood-control measures in the Pearl River Basin are underway, the ministry said.