Water evaporating in relentless heat

Water levels in many sections of the Yangtze River and other places have been significantly reduced, some to record lows, because of the summer heat.

As of 8 am on Tuesday, the Yangtze's water level in the Anqing, Anhui province, section had dropped to 8.13 meters, its lowest for the period, the Anqing hydrographic office said.

In a riverside wetland of Wuhu, Anhui, many rocks are now exposed, something normally seen only in winter, local residents said.

Authorities in Anqing said evaporation since the beginning of August had been about 70 percent more than a regular year because of the scorching temperature.

As the Anhui meteorological bureau compared satellite data observed in August with that of May and found that waters in the province had shrunk by 17 percent as of Thursday.

The relentless heat has affected a large region. Water levels in the Wuhanguan area in the upper reaches in Wuhan, Hubei province, had dropped to 17.57 meters — a record low since 1865 — as of 3 pm on Saturday, the Wuhan flood control and drought relief headquarters said.

With this year's rainy season, the Yangtze's level in Wuhan once increased to 24.96 meters, which was close to triggering a flood control response. But it has been steadily dropping since then.