Water levels go down in middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River

Water levels have fallen in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, as well as China's two major freshwater lakes – Poyang Lake in eastern Jiangxi Province and Dongting Lake in central Hunan Province, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Thursday.

However, the water level in Taihu Lake in eastern Jiangsu Province has shown a slight increase and is expected to exceed the guarantee level in three days.

The guarantee water level refers to the upper limit that ensures the safety of embankments and affiliated projects.

On Thursday morning, the water level at Taihu Lake reached 4.59 meters, 0.79 meters higher than the warning level.

The ministry also predicted that levels may bounce back in Yangtze's middle reach and Dongting Lake in the next three days as China battles flooding in its eastern and central regions.