Worst flood in two decades to hit NE China province

The swollen Heilongjiang River submerges part of the Daheihe Island in Heihe City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 8, 2013. Continuous downpours since July left floodwater from tributaries to flow into the Heilongjiang River, putting much pressure on flood control in the lower reaches. As of Tuesday, the water level of the Heilongjiang River in Heihe reached 96.66 meters, surpassing the record level recorded in 1998 by 0.6 meters. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

Worst flood in two decades is predicted to hit northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, authorities with the provincial hydrology bureau said Sunday.

Orange alert for severe flood was issued on Saturday night as the water level along the upper reaches of Nenjiang River in the province surpassed the warning level by 0.17 to 1.62 meters.

Due to continuous downpour, the peak level at Tongmeng station of Nenjiang River between 8 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday reached 169.8 meters, 0.2 meters higher than the warning level. And the water level in Qiqihar climbed to 147.88 meters, surpassing the warning level by 0.88 meters, according to the authorities.