Flooding risk rising on the Yangtze, officials warn

20 percent more rainfall is possible in river’s middle reaches; El Nino also could play a role.

长江中游地区降雨量超出往年的20%，厄尔尼诺可能是主因。

The chances of heavy flooding have increased on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, officials warned on Tuesday.

本周二，官方发布预警，长江中下游地区强洪涝风险不断升级。

They said river basin areas could be hit by more downpours and extreme weather conditions than in previous years.

他们表示，长江流域会受到强降雨和极端天气的影响，今年的强降雨和极端天气明显比往年多。

Middle reaches of Yangtze basin areas could receive 20 percent more rainfall than before, according to the hydro-graphic office of the Changjiang Water Resources Commission.

长江水利委员会水文局称，长江中游地区降雨量超出往年的20%。

Extreme weather conditions, including strong winds and downpours, have been blamed for the capsizing of a Yangtze cruise ship with 456 people on board on Monday evening. The vessel overturned on a section of the river near Jianli county, Hubei province, which lies on the middle reaches of the Yangtze.

极端天气，包括大风强降雨，正是周一晚上载有456人客船在长江倾覆的原因。客船在长江中游湖北省监利段倾覆。

Jianli county and nearby areas were hit by torrential downpours on Monday night, with the county reporting precipitation of 158.8 mm within nine hours. Moderate to strong rainfall was forecast for the county on Tuesday night, the China Meteorological Administration said in a statement.

周一晚，监利县和周边地区受到暴雨袭击，该县报道，9小时降雨量达158.8mm。中国气象局预报周二监利县将会有中到大雨。

The downpours increased water levels on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with the water resources commission reducing water discharged from the Three Gorges Dam to aid the rescue and recovery effort.

受降雨影响，长江中游水位不断升高，水利委员会已减少三峡大坝排水以帮助救援和恢复工作。

Since the river basin areas received less rainfall in April and early May, the chances increased that precipitation will be concentrated in June, July and August, the major flooding season on the Yangtze.

由于长江流域4月和5月初降水量较少，降水集中在长江主要汛期6月、7月和8月的可能性越来越大。

El Nino - a warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific that affects wind patterns - could also play a major role in the coming months, according to the meteorological administration.

气象局表示，厄尔尼诺，即太平洋海面温度升高从而影响到风向，会对未来几个月产生重大影响。

In 1998, El Nino caused the country’s worst flooding on the Yangtze in half a century, killing thousands of people.

1998年，厄尔尼诺引发了半个世纪以来长江最严重的一次洪水，千万人丧生。

The strong rainfall this year has already resulted in flooding on a number of Yangtze tributaries, including the Ganjiang River in Jiangxi province and the Xiangjiang River in Hunan province.

今年的强降雨已经引发了大量长江支流河水泛滥，包括江西的赣江和湖南的湘江。

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来源:华尔街日报中文网爱语吧作者:刘佳