The water level in the middle reaches of China's longest river, the Yangtze, is rising slowly after reaching a low of 1.24 meters on Tuesday, local authorities said Wednesday.

The water level near the port city of Anqing, in east China's Anhui Province, had risen to 1.27 meters by Wednesday due to continuous drizzle in the past few days, said a spokesman with the Anqing maritime bureau.

The bureau is releasing water level information to passing vessels via radio to guarantee their safety and carrying out inspections to prevent ships from running aground, he said.

Experts have attributed the low water level to reduced water flow from the upper reaches of the river and lower rainfall.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2007)