China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday forecast more rainfall in flood-hit areas of central and southern China after millions of people were forced to evacuate their homes.
The Center also forecast heavy rains at Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces before moving east to Henan and Shandong.
Heavy rains resulting in floods ended the worst drought that China faced in decades. China, which is the world's largest producer of cotton and rice, saw its reservoirs overflowing due to heavy rainfall including that of the country's largest freshwater lake Poyang. Rains also aided cultivation of the country's main crops.
Rainfall is also likely to help ease inflation that has zoomed to a three-year high of 5.5 percent in May, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Floods in China killed at least 175 people with hundreds of thousands evacuated to safer zones. At least 86 people were found missing between June 3 and 20, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.
Residents paddle a boat through a flooded area in Sanjiangkou village, Zhejiang province June 18, 2011. China has mobilised troops to help with flood relief and raised its disaster alert to the highest level after days of downpours forced the evacuation of more than half a million people in central and southern provinces. Central authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level 4, and the government is describing the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang province's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.REUTERSA man wades through a flooded area in Sanjiangkou village, Zhejiang province June 18, 2011. China has mobilised troops to help with flood relief and raised its disaster alert to the highest level after days of downpours forced the evacuation of more than half a million people in central and southern provinces. Central authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level 4, and the government is describing the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang province's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.REUTERSA man smokes as he rest at an evacuation center for people affected by the floods in Sanjiangkou village, Zhejiang province June 18, 2011. China has mobilised troops to help with flood relief and raised its disaster alert to the highest level after days of downpours forced the evacuation of more than half a million people in central and southern provinces. Central authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level 4, and the government is describing the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang province's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.REUTERSA man eats lunch next to an flooded area in Sanjiangkou village, Zhejiang province June 18, 2011. China has mobilised troops to help with flood relief and raised its disaster alert to the highest level after days of downpours forced the evacuation of more than half a million people in central and southern provinces. Central authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level 4, and the government is describing the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang province's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.REUTERSResidents row a boat through a flooded house in Sanjiangkou village, Zhejiang province June 18, 2011. China has mobilised troops to help with flood relief and raised its disaster alert to the highest level after days of downpours forced the evacuation of more than half a million people in central and southern provinces. Central authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level 4, and the government is describing the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang province's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.REUTERSA girl puts on her boots near a flooded tunnel in Wuhan, Hubei province June 18, 2011. As of Thursday evening, floods caused by the recent four days of rain resulted in 19 deaths and seven missing in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces and the Chongqing municipality, local media reported.REUTERSA man walks through a flooded area in Moshan village, Zhejiang province June 19, 2011. Pelting rain in parts of central and southern China has forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes and prompted the government to demand safety checks on vulnerable dams, news reports said.REUTERS
