Heavy rains continue to flood northeast China as death toll climbs

Six more people have died and another four missing after torrential rain hit China's northeastern Jilin province, state media reported, the latest fatalities from more than a week of weather-related disasters across the country.

Citing local authorities, state news agency Xinhua reported the latest casualties on Sunday in the northeastern city of Shulan.

Heavy rains in the area had now "basically ended", Xinhua said, with almost 19,000 evacuated and 21 "temporary relocation facilities" set up.

China has been hit with record heavy rains in recent weeks, with Beijing saying on Friday that natural disasters had caused 147 deaths or disappearances last month.

Clean-up operations are ongoing after the overwhelming rainfall, which destroyed infrastructure and flooded entire districts across mainland and northern China.

State broadcaster CCTV broadcast video of recovery efforts in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, showing villagers using shovels to clear muddy water from buildings.

Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heatwaves around the globe in recent weeks, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.

Officials in China said on Saturday that at least 10 people had been killed in floods in a city in Hebei province, one of the most affected by the rains, where more than 1.5 million people have been evacuated.

A red alert remained in force in Beijing as of midday Sunday due to "geological risks" such as landslides linked to the bad weather.