More downpours are forecast to pelt floods-hit Jilin Province in northeast China in the next three days, where extreme weather has left 100 people dead or missing.

The provincial meteorological station said the new round of downpours would start Tuesday night and peter out Thursday.

Tonghua City, where workers are rushing to repair flood-damaged water pipelines, would be among the worst-hit, adding more pressure on the flood disaster-relief work, said Zhu Qiwen, deputy head of the provincial weather bureau.

No deadline has been given as to when the pipelines will be fixed to resume the flow of tap water to 300,000 residents.

The city authorities have purchased 1.5 million bottles of mineral water for locals, and ordered 25 fire trucks to deliver water for domestic purposes, aside from drinking, to residential communities from 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM everyday.

The city government has also ordered vegetables from neighboring Liaoning Province to ensure local supply.

On Tuesday, major reservoirs in Jilin were discharging water in preparation for the new downpours, according to the provincial flood-control and drought-relief headquarters.

It said a breach and a leaky section of the embankment were being monitored along the swollen Songhua River in Songyuan City and Nongan County, respectively. No casualties have been reported.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2010)