Heaviest floods since 1998 could hit Yangtze valley

The most "severe floods" since 1998 might hit the Yangtze River this summer, a senior flood-control official warned yesterday.

"Meteorological and hydrological features in the Yangtze River valley this year are similar to those in 1998," Cai Qihua, deputy chief of the Yangtze River Flood Control Headquarters, was quoted by the China News Service as saying.

She added that studies on the frequency of major flooding also point to the possibility this year.