Nine people have died and six others are missing after downpours caused historic flooding in rural parts of Guangdong province in southern China.

Authorities have warned of more flooding ahead in other parts of the country.

Four people died and four others are missing in Meixian district in Guangdong’s Meizhou city, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday night.

Another five are dead in Jiaoling county, also in Meizhou.

The heaviest rains fell from Sunday into Tuesday, toppling trees and collapsing homes.

A road leading to Meixian district completely collapsed during the heavy rains. The Songyuan river, which winds through Meizhou, experienced its biggest recorded flood, according to CCTV.

Rescuers look under rocks
Nine people have died, authorities said (Xinhua via AP)

The estimated direct economic loss is 3.65 billion yuan (£396 million) in Jiaoling county, while in Meixian district, the loss is 1.06 billion yuan (£115 million).

Other parts of the country also face torrential rains and extreme weather in the next 24 hours, with the National Meteorological Centre issuing a warning for several provinces in the south and a few individual places in the north.

Henan and Anhui provinces in central China, as well as Jiangsu province on the coast and the southern province of Guizhou, all are expecting hail and strong thunderstorms, according to the forecast.

Rainfall could be as high as 50mm to 80mm (1.9in to 3.14in) in one day in Henan, Anhui and Hubei provinces, the National Meteorological Centre said.

Last week, the southern Fujian and Guangxi provinces experienced landslides and flooding amid heavy rain. One student died in Guangxi after falling into a swollen river.