China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) on Sunday raised the emergency response for flood control to level II, the second-highest in the response system, as heavy downpours continued to lash vast stretches of the country, Xinhua reported.
Since July 4, alert-triggering floods have been observed in 212 rivers nationwide, among which 19 topped previous water level records, according to the ministry.
The water level in Taihu Lake, the country's second-largest freshwater lake, has risen above the alert level for 15 consecutive days, the ministry said.
China has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I representing the most severe.
The country upgraded the emergency response for flood control from level IV to level III on Tuesday.
A total of 141 people have died or are missing, and 33.85 million others have been affected due to floods in 27 provincial-level regions in China, including eastern Anhui and Jiangxi provinces.
The water level of Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province reached 22.72 meters as of early Sunday, the highest ever recorded by the Xingzi Hydrometric Station on the lake.
The last peak level was 22.52 meters, which was recorded in 1998 when severe floods hit China.
Over 1,500 soldiers from the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army have arrived in Poyang County to combat rain and flooding in the area.
As of Saturday afternoon, over 5.2 million people have been affected, and 4,30,000 more have been relocated in regions along Poyang Lake, according to officials.
( With inputs from ANI )