Hubei prepares for possible heavy flooding on Yangtze

Authorities in Central China's Hubei province said Monday that they would step up hydrological monitoring in preparation for heavy floods at the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

The move came as the province is recovering from the novel coronavirus outbreak but still imposes some of the nation's strictest epidemic-control measures, including checking temperatures and tracing travel histories.

Li Jing, deputy head of the provincial Water Resources Department, said that forecasters were not optimistic about the hydrological conditions of the middle reaches of the Yangtze this summer.

In preparation, the provincial government has formulated emergency plans and created a rescue team in case of heavy floods, he told a daily news conference held in Wuhan, the provincial capital.

Li said they have bolstered forecasts and monitoring efforts, and have carried out inspections to rule out vulnerabilities at riverside facilities.

He added they would hold drills to prepare people for floods, and create a cross-department mechanism to promote data-sharing.