10,000 left homeless after deadly floods strike Southern China with 'super severe rainstorm' forecast

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A primary school in Rongan is surrounded by floodwater after a heavy rainstorm hit south China's Guangxi province

    

A number of provinces of southern China have experienced heavy rain since 18 May 2015. The worst affected are Jiangxi, where 7 people have been killed in landslides and house collapses, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where 6 people are thought to have died in the floods.

Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, also report that at least 6 people are still missing after a rescue boat capsized floods in Ganzhou, Jiangxi. A team of five rescuers and eight evacuated villagers were on the boat when it overturned in flood waters on Tuesday 19 May 2015.

The floods have forced at least 10,000 people from their homes in Jiangxi Province. Local authorities say that nearly 14,000 hectares of farmland is under water.

ECHO report that, as of 19 May 2015, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China was also badly affected by the severe weather, with at least five people killed, another six missing and hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed.

Other province affected by the heavy rainfall over the last few days are Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan. Taiwan has also seen heavy rainfall. In Taizhong, 114 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 19 and 20 May 2015.

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A man crouches on top of a car on a flooded street after heavy rain in Changchun, Jilin province

    

"Super severe rainstorm" to hit Guangdong - 250 mm of rain forecast

Over the last 24, further heavy rain has fallen in parts of Southern China, in particular Guangdong Province.

WMO rainfall figures for 24 hours between 19 and 20 May 2015.

Heyuan - 173 mm

Fogang - 126 mm

Gaoyao - 115 mm

Shaoguan - 102 mm

More rain is forecast and China's Meteorological Administration (CMA) have issued a yellow level warning for heavy rain. Earlier today, 20 May 2015, they said:

At 06:00 a.m. today, National Meteorological Centre continually issued yellow warning of rainstorm:

It is forecasted in the next 24 hours from 08:00 a.m. today, southeastern Gansu, southern Ningxia, eastern Yunnan, southeastern Guizhou, southern Hunan, southern Jiangxi, central-southern Fujian, most areas of Guangxi, Guangdong, northern Hainan, and Taiwan will see heavy rain or rainstorm. In northeastern Guangxi, northern Guangdong, southern Hunan, southern Jiangxi, and northwestern Taiwan, there will be severe rainstorm. Parts of northern Guangdong will be hit by super severe rainstorm (250-260mm). The hourly precipitation of the above-mentioned areas will reach 30-50mm with isolated 70-80mm and accompany with thunderstorm and high wind. (May 20)

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Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a collapsed residential building in Guiyang, Guizhou province