China witnessed water levels surpassing flood control alert thresholds in 81 major rivers at 8 am Wednesday, as relentless downpours continue to affect a vast stretch of areas across the country, triggering national emergency responses in many regions.

The water courses are located in nine provincial-level regions, according to a news release issued by the Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday.

The situation is especially serious in sections of the Jialing River in Gansu province, the Honghe River in Henan province and the Xihe River in Anhui province, where embankments are facing the most severe floodwater levels on record.

Some sections of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers have also swelled above their warning levels, it said.

In the 24 hours to 8 am Thursday, rainwater is expected to further swell many segments of the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze, Asia's longest watercourse, the lower reaches of the Hanjiang River, as well as Poyang Lake and the Xiushui River in Jiangxi province, triggering flood control alarms, the ministry said.

It cautioned that the alarms are forecast to be sustained on Thursday, as heavy rainfall lingers.

A Level III emergency response for flood control has been in force in Anhui and in Hunan province since early this month. A Level IV emergency response remains active in eight provincial-level regions, including the provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei and Sichuan.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn