Rains affect about a lakh of people in China

Floods triggered by torrential rain have affected about 98,717 people and damaged over 12,300 hectares of crops in northwest China, state media reported today.
Strong rainfall began on Tuesday and has continued into this morning, affecting Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's northern and western areas of Altay, Aksu and Tacheng, the region's civil affairs department said in a statement.
The rainstorm has damaged over 12,300 hectares of crops and killed 2,340 head of livestock, while 303 houses have been toppled or damaged, forcing the evacuation of 939 people, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Direct economic losses are estimated to have reached about USD 17 million, the department said.

The rainstorm has also triggered torrential floods, destroying parts of channels, sluices and infrastructure as well as bridges and roads, it added.
In northern Shanxi Province, a strong hailstorm that hit Zhangzi County yesterday killed one person and injured three others, the Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Department said.

The hailstorm damaged over 3,000 hectares of farmland and destroyed 28 houses. It is believed to have incurred 19.87 million yuan in direct economic losses.
Heavy rain has been hitting parts of south China's Sichuan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region since Saturday, with precipitation expected to reach 100 to 180 mm by today, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Tomorrow, the rain will spread to most parts of south China, including the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, as well as Chongqing Municipality, it said.