Anchor: Torrential rains continued to plague China on Wednesday, affecting almost 1 million people, disrupting traffic and threatening the safety of reservoirs. Flood control has now become a top priority in many provinces in southern China.
Our reporter Wu Jia has the details.

Reporter:
The water level in the Yangtze River keeps rising as the downpour continues. Authorities are taking every precaution to fight flooding and ensure safety along the major rivers, reservoirs and strategic facilities.

Shi Guangqian is a senior official at the Yangtze River's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarter. He says the water level in the high-rish sections of the river is being carefully monitored.

"As of now, the rainfall in the Yangtze region, especially the middle and low reaches of the river, has been normal. Everything is under control at present."

Shi Guangqian adds that the water level in the Yangze's main Wuhanguan tributary is stable.

China's National Meteorological Center estimates that rainfall in South China this year will be 30 to 70 percent heavier than previous years. And according to the latest forecasts, heavy rainfall in the region will continue in the coming days.

The drenching rains are expected to pose a serious danger to agricultural production. The situation has prompted China's Ministry of Agriculture to issue an urgent appeal to the local authorities to prevent possible losses.

Hu Yuankun is a senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture.

"As of noon, June 11th, the rain had affected seven provinces in South China: Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou. More than 11 million mu of crops have been damaged in these provinces."

However, the official says immediate rescue strategies have been carried out and the damage will not have too much effect on the nation's overall agricultural output this year.

Furthermore, Hu Yuankun says the ministry is working closely with local agricultural authorities. They have taken a series of measures, including strengthening the weather monitoring and forecast system, as well as sending experts to the disaster-hit areas.

"We are working on resuming production after the disaster. We have organized farmers to harvest the ripe crops and fruit. We have also sent our experts to help restore agricultural production, and minimize the losses."

The deluge began to haunt South China at the end of last month, damaging houses, crops, and industrial plants. In response, the National Meteorological Center has launched an orange alert, the second highest level in China.

Wu Jia, CRI news.