More than 53,000 evacuated in central China over heavy rain: state media

Beijing: Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in the central Chinese province of Hunan due to heavy rain, Beijing s state media said Friday...

Beijing: Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in the central Chinese province of Hunan due to heavy rain, Beijing's state media said Friday, as the country endures a summer of extreme weather.

State news agency Xinhua said that as of 5:00 pm (0900 GMT) Friday, more than 53,000 people have been evacuated across Hunan.

Areas in the province are expected to experience torrential rain, with the downpour in some isolated areas predicted to be "extremely heavy", Xinhua said, citing local weather departments.

Some parts of Hunan have seen precipitation exceeding 400 millimeters (16 inches) since Wednesday, the state-run news agency said.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) also warned that southern and central parts of the country will experience heavy rain on Saturday, pointing to "significant threat of mountain flood disasters" in some areas, Xinhua reported.