BEIJING — A major flood is likely to hit the Songhua River basin in northeast China this week, the country's Ministry of Water Resources warned on Aug 16.

The water level of the Harbin section of the Songhua River is estimated to rise and surpass the warning line by up to 0.2 meters on Aug 21, the ministry said.

In light of the flood situation in northeast China, the ministry on Aug 16 raised the emergency response level for floods and droughts from level IV to III and sent another three work teams to assist local flood relief.

Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources, urged local authorities to strengthen warnings and forecasting and take effective measures to keep dams safe. They should also make specific emergency response plans to ensure the safety of the people and operate reservoirs scientifically to reduce flood relief pressure on the downstream.