Alert raised in north as flooding continues in south

Authorities have warned of the possibility of major floods in China's northern areas as inundations continue to cause serious damage in many parts of the southern half of the country, especially along the Yangtze River's middle and lower reaches.

Since June, high-water alerts have been triggered along 433 rain-swollen rivers. Only 11 are in the Yellow River Basin in the north, while all others are in southern areas, said Ye Jianchun, vice-minister of water resources, at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office in Beijing on Monday.

While high water levels linger in the Yangtze and Taihu Lake, more rain than normal is expected in some northern areas as the region prepares to enter its rainy season, usually from late July to early August, he said.

Major floods may occur in the Songhua, Liaohe, Haihe and Huaihe river basins and the middle reaches of the Yellow River, Ye added.