Flood warnings are still being issued in many parts of China as more heavy rain is forecast to hit flood and landslide-prone areas in the country's southwestern, central and eastern regions over the next few days.
   
The Central Meteorological Station forecast on Monday that heavy rain would hit Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Henan and Anhui provinces overnight on Monday and Tuesday.
   
Flood control authorities in eastern Anhui Province issued an emergency notice on Monday asking local authorities to be on high alert against possible breaches of dykes that have been soaked in water for 20 days.
   
The water level at Wangjiaba, a key hydrological station in the middle reaches of the swollen Huaihe River, rose again on Monday after five days' decline since the last flood crest passed through the Wangjiaba section. It was 27.64 meters at 9 AM Monday, above the danger line of 27.5 meters.
   
The water level is expected to continue to rise as the southeastern part of Henan and the western part of Anhui, both in its upper reaches, will experience heavy rain from Monday night and Tuesday.
   
The floodwater in the river's section in Anhui has already forced an evacuation of tens of thousands of people though no casualties have been reported.
   
One was killed and about 30,000 were affected after rainstorms ravaged Yanbian County in Sichuan Province, causing floods and landslides. The county saw 271 millimeters of rain from 0:00 AM to 3 PM on Monday.
   
The rain in the area will continue until Wednesday, the provincial meteorological station forecast.
   
The water level of the Yangtze River's section in Wuhan will exceed 25 meters when a flood crest of the river upstream reaches the city on Wednesday. The water level of the river in Wuhan rose to 24.59 meters at 2 PM Monday.
   
By July 16, China's death toll from natural disasters was 715 with 129 people missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Thursday.
   
The figures showed 200 million people were affected by natural disasters, including floods, landslides, droughts, gales, snowstorms and earthquakes, while 4.45 million people were forced to leave their homes.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2007)