Heavy downpours continue to batter large swathes of China

Rainstorms continued to wreak havoc in vast stretches of southern and southwestern China, as more rain is expected to lash the country in the coming days, state media reported on Saturday.

Continuous downpours in the past few days have triggered waterlogging in urban areas in Nanning, the provincial capital of southwestern Guangxi province with an accumulated rainfall of 263.9 mm since Wednesday, according to state television CCTV.

In Hangzhou city of Zhejiang province, rescuers had to use rope to bring to safety six people stranded in a house by a flooded river.

In Jiangxi province, 42,000 people have been evacuated since flooding started on Tuesday, said CCTV.

Rainstorms and downpours are expected to hit large swathes of China from Friday through Tuesday, with a high risk of flooding, landslides and urban waterlogging, the national flood control agency said in a website statement.

Heavy downpours this year caused direct economic losses of 24 billion yuan ($3.4 billion) and damaged 861,000 hectares (2.1 million acres) of farmland, with a total of 26 provinces and cities affected, the state-run Economic Daily has said.

(Source: Reuters)

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