But light to moderate showers are still forecast for the coming days along the Xiangjiang River in Hunan Province, where floods triggered by continuous torrential rain in the past week killed 25 people and left 13 others missing.

Meanwhile, prolonged drought has been hitting some parts of North China and Northeast China.

The China Meteorological Administration warned some regions in Yunnan Province and Chongqing Municipality of possible torrential rain in the coming days.

In Hunan's capital of Changsha, the water level of the Xiangjiang River rose to 38.1 meters early yesterday morning, about 3 meters higher than the warning line.

The flood peak has passed the provincial capital and the water level is now subsiding. Local flood control authorities reported no major losses or fatalities thanks to effective flood-prevention measures.

In South China's Guangdong Province, at least 21 persons have been killed, three were seriously injured and seven others went missing when heavy floods struck its northern parts since Saturday.

The cities of Shaoguan, Meizhou and Heyuan were hardest hit by the disaster which has left many people homeless.

Direct economic losses caused by the floods have been estimated at more than 620 million yuan (US$74.7 million).

In Meizhou alone, mountain torrents caused by heavy rainfalls slammed into a total of 89 townships in the city, affecting more than 406,000 local residents, including 18,000 people who have become homeless.

The mountain torrents have also caused many landslides in the city.

Meizhou municipal government has invested more than 300,000 yuan (US$36,000) so far to help local homeless people rebuild their homes.

The Guangdong provincial government yesterday issued an emergency notice to urge the flood-hit areas to take effective and concrete measures to fight the disaster and try to rescue the flood victims.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has sent three relief teams to Meizhou, Heyuan and Shaoguan to help the relief work and help local flood victims rebuild their homes and restore agricultural production as soon as possible.

On Sunday, Premier Wen Jiabao urged governments including water resources departments at all levels to attach great importance to flood control and drought prevention to ensure the safety of people and the normal performance of the economy in areas hit by floods even as the country was fighting SARS.

According to a report released by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, seven provincial areas experienced heavy rains between May 12 and 18.

The areas include Central China's Hunan Province, South China's Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, East China's Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, and Southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Xiangjiang River basin was hit by the worst flood in a decade, it said.

The headquarters, which coordinates the country's efforts to curb flood and drought, called on local governments to do their utmost in flood control while fighting SARS.

In Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, drought has caused a sharp drop in the water level at the Harbin section of the Songhua River to its lowest point ever recorded.

The level was 1.39 meters lower than that of last year, which was also a record low.

If there is no major rain, the river's water level will continue to decline, said a local hydrometeorological bureau official.

The water level of the 900-kilometer Songhua River, the third largest inland river in China, has been at its lowest point in history since April.

As its breadth has narrowed from over 1,000 to 300 meters, navigation had to be suspended on the river.

The river's exceptionally low level has led to water shortages in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province.

The Heilongjiang provincial water control department attributed the falling water level to a loss of soil moisture as a result of less precipitation and a windy climate.

(China Daily May 20, 2003)