98,700 affected by extreme weather in NW China

Torrential rain, hail and floods have affected about 98,717 people in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region since Tuesday, local authorities said on Sunday.

Strong rainfall began on Tuesday and has continued into Sunday morning,affecting Xinjiang's northern and western areas of Altay, Aksu and Tacheng, the region's civil affairs department said in a statement.

The rainstorm has damaged over 12,300 hectares of crops and killed 2,340 head of livestock, while 303 houses have been toppled or damaged, forcing the evacuation of 939 people.

Direct economic losses are estimated to have reached 104 million yuan(about 17 million U.S.dollars), the department said.

The rainstorm has also triggered torrential floods, destroying parts of channels, sluices and infrastructure as well as bridges and roads, it added.

In north China's Shanxi Province, a strong hailstorm that hit Zhangzi County on Saturday killed one person and injured three others, the Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Department said Sunday.

The hailstorm damaged over 3,000 hectares of farmland and destroyed 28 houses. It is believed to have incurred 19.87 million yuan in direct economic losses.

Heavy rain has been hitting parts of south China's Sichuan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region since Saturday, with precipitation expected to reach 100 to 180 mm by Sunday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

On Monday, the rain will spread to most parts of south China, including the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, as well as Chongqing Municipality.