BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) on Wednesday raised the emergency response for flood control to level II, the second-highest in the response system, as heavy rainfall lashed stretches along the Yangtze River.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River have been battered by the largest floods since 1981, according to the ministry.

On Thursday, the Three Gorges reservoir is expected to see an inflow of 76,000 cubic meters per second, the highest level since the reservoir's construction, the MWR said.

The ministry will intensify the monitoring of water levels and increase the frequency of forecast to help prevent the floods.

China has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I representing the most severe.