Torrential rains have hit central China's Hunan Province since Thursday, hurting the livelihoods of more than 1.2 million people and forcing the evacuation of another 22,000, the provincial flood control authority said on Sunday.

Torrential rains have hit central China's Hunan Province since Thursday, hurting the livelihoods of more than 1.2 million people and forcing the evacuation of another 22,000, the provincial flood control authority said on Sunday.

The disaster, with its center on the Lishui River, collapsed 835 houses and damaged crops, highways, and power and communication facilities, causing 481.5 million yuan (about US$71 million) in loss.

As of 8 AM on Sunday, the province had received an average rainfall of 46.45 millimeters. In the worst-hit Cili County, rainfall was 431.3 mm over the past four days.

The water level of the Lishui River exceeded the warning level because of continuous rainfall.

Local meteorological station predicted the rain would linger over the southern part of the province in the following days.

Torrential rains have hit central China's Hunan Province since Thursday, hurting the livelihoods of more than 1.2 million people and forcing the evacuation of another 22,000, the provincial flood control authority said on Sunday.

Separately, in the northwestern Shaanxi Province, a persistent drought affected 400,000 hectares of farmland. Crops were left withered on 76,000 hectares of land, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters on Sunday.

A total of 150,000 people and 110,000 heads of livestock had difficulty in finding drinking water.

The drought was expected to worsen in the central and northern parts of Shaanxi.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)