Authorities in Guangdong on Monday said four people were killed and 10 people were missing after continuous heavy rainfall hit many parts of the province over the past few days.

The three deaths were reported in Zhaoqing City, while the remaining one is a rescuer in Shaoguan City.

Guangdong's provincial emergency management department said search and rescue operations were still underway.

The heavy rain affected many cities including the provincial capital of Guangzhou, resulting in damaged houses, blocked roads and landslides.

The department said it has so far relocated some 110,000 residents, with 25,800 people being urgently resettled.

Scores of homes either collapsed or were badly damaged, resulting in an economic loss of over 110 million yuan according to officials.

Rainfall was forecast to continue over the coming three days across the southern regions, with rainstorms hitting parts of Guangdong and Fujian provinces, the National Meteorological Centre said.

Persistent heavy rain has affected south China since April 19, with precipitation reaching record highs in several areas.

Vast regions of the country's south and southwest were expected to see a 50 to 80 percent increase in precipitation in late April compared with the same period in previous years.

Officials said due to the heavy rain, water levels in 44 rivers within the Pearl River basin had exceeded warning levels as of April 21.

China issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Monday morning, the third most severe level in the country's four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system. (Xinhua)
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Last updated: 2024-04-22 HKT 22:11