BEIJING, July 11 -- China's Yangtze River is experiencing its "No. 2 Flood" of 2024, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Thursday.

The water flow into the Three Gorges Reservoir hit 50,000 cubic meters per second at 6 p.m. Thursday, pushing the water level in the reservoir to 161.1 meters.

In recent weeks, China's southern areas have been battered by persistent heavy rainfall. The ministry has issued emergency responses to flooding in several provinces, and sent five working teams to Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui to provide guidance on flood relief.

The ministry also urged efforts to strengthen monitoring and early warning of floods, enhance the patrolling of dikes, and relocate people living in flood-prone areas to safe places.