Updated statistics show that China's 19 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have suffered inundation to varying degrees. To date, 4.97 million hectares of farmland have been flooded and 69.42 million people are affected.

The headquarters also said material damage from the flooding totaled more than 20 billion yuan.

A senior official with the headquarters said the intensity of this year's floods was about the average level of the 1990's.

Floods Wreak Havoc in Northwest Province

According to earlier reports, China had received three large rainfalls since the beginning of June. Some rivers and streams in the country's northwest region, the Yangtze River Valley and waterways in south China's Fujian province were swollen by downpours.

The mainstream of the Huaihe River in northern China aswell as Xijiang River, a branch of south China's Pearl River had also swollen. But the country's other major rivers were still safe.

The water level of the Xijiang River has since dropped and water level of the Yangtze River mainstream, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake have not reached the warning marks.

The Ministry of Water Resources and flood-control headquarters are closely watching the flood situation as more rain has begun insouth China, while north China is also approaching the main rainy season.

(People's Daily June 26, 2002)