BEIJING, May 23 -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in Hubei and Chongqing, while maintaining the same level of response for Hunan, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM).

A working team has been dispatched to central China's Hubei Province to assist and guide flood prevention efforts.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.

On the same day, the headquarters and the MEM jointly held consultations with departments including meteorological, water resources and natural resources authorities, as well as key provincial-level regions including Hubei, Chongqing and Shaanxi, to assess the latest development in a new round of heavy rainfall expected from May 23 to 27 and arrange flood-control measures in key areas.

As China has entered its flood season, heavy rainfall has lashed the southern and central regions of the country in recent days.