BEIJING -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Thursday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Anhui, Hubei and Chongqing.

Meanwhile, it maintained a Level-III emergency response to flooding in Guangxi, and kept a Level-IV emergency response for Zhejiang, Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi.

Torrential rain is forecast to pound some of the country's southern regions from Thursday to Friday.

The risk of geological and other disasters is rising following persistent rain, the headquarters warned, demanding that local authorities evacuate residents from high-risk areas if needed and strengthen coordination in mitigating flooding.