According to the province's disaster-relief department, torrential rain has resulted in flooding and mud-rock flows in Luzhou, Bazhong, Dazhou, Liangshan and Panzhihua.

Falling houses and floods, according to the department, have caused the most deaths and injuries.

Luzhou is the worst hit area, with a direct economic loss of more than 84 million yuan (US$10.4 million).

The Sichuan Meteorological Bureau forecasted that, due to the influence of a subtropical anticyclone, most of the province's territory will experience a large amount of rain in the first 10 days of July.

The National Meteorological Bureau yesterday issued a rainstorm alarm for the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and Huaihe River today.

Meanwhile in eastern and southern parts of the country, people are feeling summer heat.

In Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian Province, residents have been suffering from extreme temperatures for almost a week.

The daily highest temperature in the downtown area has remained at 37 C and will continue to for several days, according to the local meteorological bureau.

The chimpanzees in Fuzhou Zoo have moved into air-conditioned rooms, while the South China tigers enjoy regular cold showers. The sheep have all had haircuts.

Tang Yao, a vet with the zoo, said the animals will be given more watermelon and cucumbers to help relieve the heat.

In Shanghai, the city's meteorological bureau sounded three alarms on Saturday heat, rain and thunder. The highest temperature reached 36.9 C.

The National Meteorological Bureau forecasted that Shanghai, south Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, north Guangdong and east Guangxi will experience high-temperatures between 35 and 38 C today.

(China Daily 07/03/2006 page3)