Rainstorms are likely to hit southwest China's Sichuan Province from midnight Thursday to Friday night, bringing strong winds or hails to most parts of the agricultural base.

According to the local meteorological station, a dozen of cities and counties including the provincial capital Chengdu will see heavy rainfall with wind speed exceeding 40 km per hour during the period.

Meteorologists warned people in the areas to be alert of floods and landslides in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the rainfall will ease continuous drought that has ravaged 73 counties and cities in the province over the past two weeks, the expert said.

China reported more casualties as rescuers retrieved the bodies of people missing in floods and mud-rock flows triggered by typhoon Sepat in eastern and central parts of the country.

By Thursday, China's death toll from the typhoon in provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Zhejiang reached 39 with nine others missing, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The ministry said 313,900 ha of crops had been flooded and 1.76 million people were evacuated.

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2007)