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More downpours and floods in South China are expected by Wednesday after regional flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rains. Those rains have killed at least 50 people since the beginning of July.

Heavy downpours in the past few days have destroyed roads and bridges and halted at least 16 provincial highways in five provinces. All trains to and from Chongqing were suspended on Saturday, the Ministry of Transport said.

Since July 1, flooding, landslides and torrents of mud in South China have killed at least 50 people. Another 15 are missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said late Saturday.

More than 17 million people in nine provinces have been affected and about 597,000 people relocated since the start of July, according to the ministry.

About 42,000 homes have collapsed and another 121,000 have been damaged. About 946,500 hectares of farmland were damaged or destroyed, with economic costs estimated at up to 8.9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion), the ministry said.

The National Meteorological Center said on Sunday that more rains are expected before Wednesday.

The weather center expanded its orange alert for rainstorms, the second highest level for heavy rains, on Sunday. It forecast middle to strong rains for Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou provinces with the highest rain volume expected to reach 300 mm in some parts.

The heavy rains will last until July 20 in some parts of the southern region, the center predicted.

Questions:

1. How many provinces and how many people in South China have been affected by heavy rains this month?

2. How many people have been killed, and how many people are missing?

3. When is rain forecast next?

Answers:

1. Nine provinces and 17 million people.

2. Authorities say 50 people have been killed, and another 15 are missing.

3. The National Meteorological Center said more rains are expected in South China before Wednesday.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.