Torrential rain destroys 1300 houses*

 From correspondents in Beijing

April 25, 2007 11:29am
Article from: Reuters

SUDDEN torrential downpours in China's southeastern province of
Guangdong destroyed more than 1300 houses and forced 20,000 people from
their homes.

The rainfall and thunderstorms also delayed flights to the province's
largest airport and destroyed thousands of hectares of crops, the
official Xinhua agency reported.

Nearly 20cm of rain were recorded in some areas over Monday and Tuesday.

A recent national assessment of the likely impact of global warming said
the country's south could face more flooding as temperatures rise.

Last year, China's warmest since 1951, the country was struck by an
unusually high number of natural disasters, including a series of storms
and typhoons.

Every year, 400 million people and 50 million ha of farmland are
affected by natural disasters in China, with economic losses reaching
1-3 per cent of gross domestic product.