Torrential rain has hit the central and southern provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Zhejiang and Anhui, reported China Daily. More than 53,000 people in the Hubei city of Xianning were forced to evacuate their homes because of rising water levels in a local river.

Twenty-four counties and cities in Hubei received more than 50mm of rainfall in one 24-hour period, with nearly 100mm falling in Gong’an and Yingcheng.

In the city of Yueyang in Hunan province, flash floods and landslides caused by the largest rainstorm in 300 years killed 29 people and left 20 missing. City authorities have ordered the repair of the damaged embankments, and the evacuation of downstream residents who face possible danger.

In the city of Huangshan in southern Anhui, water has overflowed from 35 reservoirs and exceeded the warning levels in 124 reservoirs, according to the city flood control and drought relief headquarters.

On 8 June the Ministry of Finance pledged a further Rmb1.2bn to help five regions along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River carry out disaster relief work.