BEIJING, July 5 -- Flooding is forecast to persist in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the next two weeks, China's Ministry of Water Resources said Friday.

Since mid-June, torrential rains have lashed the middle and lower reaches of the country's longest river, leading to the continuous rise of water levels and flooding.

Relevant departments have issued emergency response to rainfall and flooding earlier this week in Jiangxi and Hunan, two major provinces along the middle reach of the Yangtze.

Hunan has suffered the strongest rainfall this year, which has broken local historical records in some regions.

However, real-time monitoring showed that water levels have begun to recede from their peak in the middle reach of the river. Dongting and Poyang, the country's two largest freshwater lakes, which serve as natural reservoirs along the Yangtze, have also seen declining water levels, according to the ministry.

The ministry has urged efforts to reinforce major levees and dams, and ensure precise water transfers among reservoirs across the Yangtze River basin.