Heavy rains have caused serious disruption in Hubei, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief office.

Rain-triggered landslides and floods in Xingshan county in the city of Yichang led to the destruction of nearly 300 houses, damaged 15km of roads, and caused direct economic losses of Rmb59m.

A mudslide caused by rainstorms blocked the Beijing-Kunming expressway in Ya’an, Sichuan province. This section of expressway is expected to be out of use until 28 August.

Further south, the problem has been one of protracted dry conditions that have pushed up electricity demand and reduced hydropower output, reported Xinhua.

In Guizhou province, power supply is about 120m kWh short of demand on an average day, according to statistics from the provincial power grid company. The shortage is caused mainly by shortages in coal supply and declining hydropower output, officials said.

The drought has dried up Guizhou’s reservoirs, where the province’s major hydroelectric stations are located. Daily hydropower output has been reduced by 28 per cent compared with the same period last year, said Zhang Quanyi, a local government official.

Neighbouring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is also facing a major power shortage, which has forced 1,000 companies in the region to suspend operations, local officials said. The output of three major hydroelectric stations on Guangxi’s Hongshui River was down 50 per cent from a year earlier.