Downpours test dam's ability

         The water flow in the Three Gorges Dam is expected to hit 56,000 cubic meters per second tomorrow due to the continuous rain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

         The Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters announced Monday that the peak is likely to arrive at about 8 am tomorrow, and that the water level in the dam could rise to 161.5 meters Friday, 12 meters above the reservoir's danger point.

         The flood caused by endless rain around the Yangtze River region since June has snuffed out 323 lives and forced 80 million people to relocate, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

         Engineers at the dam located in Yichang in Hubei Province said the water level in the Three Gorges Reservoir behind the dam could exceed 158.86 meters, which is 13.86 meters above the danger line.

         The water flow rate in the Danjiangkou Reservoir from the Hanjiang River, the second largest branch of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province has risen to its highest level in three decades, Xinhua reported.

A worker removes trash near a bridge that runs over the Hanjiang River in Wuhan, Hubei Province Monday. The rising water increased the risk of floods after shops and a car park opened near the river