China Extreme Weather: Three Gorges Dam prepares for peak floods

Meanwhile, the Yangtze River is bracing for peak floods on Saturday. Downpours in the upper stretches of the river are increasing the speed of water flowing into the Three Gorges Reservoir and, it's currently experiencing a peak inflow of 43-thousand cubic meters per second. Water levels reached more than 160-meters on Saturday afternoon. In response, the Three Gorges Dam has opened seven discharge gates at 41-thousand cubic meters per second since Friday. The Changjiang Water Resources Commission says it will continue to assess the situation and could increase the discharged water from the reservoir if needed. China has faced challenges to water management this rainy season. The disasters have been more severe and more prolonged than usual. The Ministry of Water Resources says coordination will be enhanced to optimize the role of reservoirs in flood mitigation, through concerted water storage efforts.

CHEN GUIYA, Deputy Chief Engineer, Changjiang Water Resources Commission "We are currently in the critical phase of flood management, which is between late July and early August. So we need to prepare for a potential significant flooding event in the upper Yangtze River."