(Yicai Global) July 3 -- A major flood has occurred in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, China’s longest river whose drainage basin covers one-fifth of the nation’s land area, as the country is battered by the heaviest rainfall in decades with more predicted to be on its way.

Water was flowing into the Three Gorges Dam at a rate of 50,000 cubic meters per second, as of yesterday, raising concerns that the world’s largest dam spanning the Yangtze River may not be able to contain the inflow and save the lower regions from disaster.

Water levels in 250 rivers across the country exceeded the warning threshold in the last month, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The water level of the port of Wuhan, 313 kilometers downstream from the Three Gorges Dam, was 0.7 meters above the safety level this morning and the water level continues to rise, according to the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission website.

The China Meteorological Administration predicts further heavy rainfall in southwestern China and along the Yangtze River’s lower and middle reaches from tomorrow to July 6. This follows 29 consecutive days of such warnings last month.

The summer months of July and August typically sees torrential rain across much of China. It is therefore a critical period for flood control, the ministry said. In particular, the drainage system around Dongtinghu Lake in the middle section of the Yangtze River is not optimal and the area around it is likely to experience heavy flooding.

Editor: Kim Taylor