Other provinces in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River have also lifted their response level. The Jiangsu Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated the second-highest response level for the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze and Taihu Lake region from 4 pm on Sunday.

The water level in Taihu Lake has remained above its warning level for 15 days as it continues to rise. It reached 4.45 meters at 8 am on Sunday, 1 millimeter higher than it was 24 hours before and 0.65 meters above its danger level.

A forecast from the National Meteorological Center said the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze will continue to be lashed by rainfall before Thursday. After that, precipitation in the region will tend to weaken.

Wang Jian in Jiangxi contributed to this story.