China braced for more rain after storms kill 71

Beijing, June 12: China braced for more torrential rain today in a wild season of floods, house collapses and rockslides across the south and east that have already killed 71 people with 13 missing.

Downpours and strong winds were likely to strike coastal Zhejiang and Fujian provinces and Hainan island to the south, while rain in other parts had eased, the China Meteorological Administration said on its Web site (www.cma.gov.cn).

Flooding and mudslides have so far wrought economic damage of about 3.4 billion yuan (436 million dollar), with 56,000 homes and 57,600 hectares (222 sq miles) of crops destroyed, Xinhua news agency said, citing an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

In past days, downpours, mudslides and floods hit the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian. The violent weather has prompted evacuation of 643,000 residents, the China Daily reported.

China's stormy season is just getting under way in the south.

Experts last month warned that the Yangtze could flood badly this year for the first time since 1998 when flooding killed more than 3,000 people.

Some northern regions are being hit by heatwaves, with temperatures in parts likely to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), the Meteorological Administration said.

Reuters>