HARBIN -- The flood control and drought relief headquarters of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province upgraded emergency response measures in two cities on Thursday afternoon, to guard against rainstorms and floods.

The emergency response was raised from Level IV to III in the city of Mudanjiang and the provincial capital Harbin.

The provincial hydrological department forecast that a hydrological station at the Mudanjiang River is expected to see a flood peak of about 230.4 meters on Friday morning, 1.4 meters higher than the warning water level.

The headquarters asked that residents in dangerous areas be moved to safety, with personnel dispatched to embankments and 24-hour patrols conducted to control risks.