The level of the Yangtze River in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, rose to 8.53 meters, exceeding the warning line for the first time this year.

The biggest flood crest of China's longest river began to form in the lower reaches on Thursday, pushing water levels in Zhenjiang and Nanjing above warning lines, according to the Nanjing navigation administration of Yangtze River.

The warning line in the Nanjing section of the Yangtze was set at 8.5 meters, and the Zhenjiang section seven meters.

Nanjing, with a population of almost seven million, has prepared sand, soil and bags at docks and ferries for possible flooding.

The administration has warned vessels to beware of torrents in the swollen river.

Meanwhile, about 3,000 people are patrolling dikes around the clock in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province in the middle of the Yangtze, as the biggest flood crest on the river this year approaches.

The flood crest is due to arrive in the city on Saturday, while the water level has increased by 17 centimeters in the past 24 hours to reach 25.93 meters at 8 AM on Friday, according to the Wuhan flood control headquarters. The warning line stands at 27.3 meters.

The runoff from the Yangtze River increased by 2,500 cubic meters per second in the past 24 hours to 56,500 cubic meters at 8 AM, officials with the headquarters said.

The water level of the Hanjiang River, another waterway that passes Wuhan, a city of more than eight million people, was 28.05 meters on Friday, 0.55 meters above the warning line and 0.31 meters higher than it was on Thursday.

It is the tenth day that the water level has been dangerously high in the Hanjiang River.

The last peaks in the Yangtze and Hanjiang passed Wuhan more than a week ago without causing flooding.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2007)