Eight killed, four missing in heavy rains in China

Five people were killed and three were missing in Linxian County yesterday after torrential rain with a precipitation of 197 millimetres hit the county.

Another worker at a highway construction site was also killed and one was missing in the rainstorm, according to the Shanxi Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Two villagers were drowned in a flood at Heisongyi Town, Gulang County of Gansu Province last night.

Their bodies were found this morning, according to the provincial government.

Nineteen work teams have been sent by the Shanxi provincial government to the cities along the Yellow River, the second largest river of China, to prepare for potential floods, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Seventy-seven people were killed in Beijing in the recent rains, regarded as the worst in six decades.

China's meteorological authorities meanwhile forecast rainstorms for the country's northern areas over the next three days and a heat wave in the south.

Heavy rains and rainstorms will hit northern parts of north and northeast China from today to Monday, the National Meteorological Centre said.

During the period, torrential rains will batter eastern parts of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, central-western parts of Heilongjiang province, western parts of Jilin province, central parts of Liaoning province, northeastern parts of Beijing and Hebei province and northern parts of Tianjin, with precipitation reaching up to 120 millimetres in some regions, the centre said.

Tomorrow and Monday, regions west of the Yellow River in Gansu province, central parts of Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, southern parts of Hebei and northern parts of Shandong province will see downpours, with precipitation in some parts amounting to 110 millimetres, the centre said.

` Meanwhile, heavy rains and rainstorms are likely to hit most parts of Yunnan province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region from today to Monday, and some areas will also see downpours, the centre said.

In the same period, a heat wave is expected to scorch regions along the Yangtze, Huai and Han rivers and Chongqing municipality, with temperatures rising up to 38 degrees celsius, it said.