BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Water Resources said on Monday that it has maintained a Level-III emergency flood response for east China's Jiangxi Province, Hunan Province in central China, and Guangdong Province in the south.

From Sunday morning to Monday morning, heavy to torrential rains lashed eastern and southern parts of the country due to Typhoon Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year. During the same period, water levels rose above warning levels on 40 rivers across the country, with the largest excess above warning levels reaching 3.92 meters.

Based on rainfall forecasts, the ministry issued early warning notices to 17 provincial-level regions, including Jilin and Heilongjiang, both in northeast China, Jiangsu, Anhui and Fujian, all in the east, urging enhanced safety measures for reservoir operations, flood prevention along small and medium-sized rivers, and protection against flash floods.

Meanwhile, the ministry maintained a Level-IV emergency flood response for Fujian, Henan and Hubei, both in central China, and Guangxi in the south.

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