East China downpour affects 666,000 people

Heavy rain has affected 666,000 people in 25 counties of east China's Zhejiang Province over the past month, local authorities said Saturday. The downpours have also forced 5,674 residents to evacuate, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. A total of 335 houses collapsed, and 22,200 hectares of crops were affected because of the rain. Economic losses are estimated at about 525 million yuan (85.5 million U.S. dollars). From June 7 to 28, the average precipitation in the province stood at 185mm with the highest reaching 303 mm in the county-level city of Lin'an, said the headquarters. The provincial meteorological authorities warned citizens of mountain torrents and landslides in some mountainous areas this flood season.