Low temperatures and torrential rains have affected millions in China's Anhui, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan provinces, and more storms are forecast for coming days.

The China Meteorological Administration launched a fourth-level emergency response for major disasters on May 17 to deal with the inclement weather.

The rainstorms began battering southern China on April 5, 2010, and As of Monday, rainstorms have killed at least 101 people in 11 provinces and regions, with more than 15 million people affected, China News Service reported.

The National Meteorological Center's chief forecaster Yang Guiming said the new round of rain began to hit the middle and lower valleys of the Yangtze River from Sunday night and is expected to end on Tuesday.

The rainstorms triggered flash floods and mud-rock flows, swollen rivers, burst dikes, threatened reservoirs, and damaged highways, bridges and power and telecommunication facilities.

According to the provincial flood-control and drought relief headquarters, 12,700 residential buildings were destroyed and about 141,000 people were evacuated.

The direct economic losses from the bad weather were estimated at 1.66 billion yuan.

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