(File photo: social media)

The Yangtze River region recorded the highest rainfall in more than half a century in July this year, as torrential rains hit southern China.

More than 38 million people across the country have been affected by record-breaking rainfall and the resulting severe flooding in southern China, leaving 56 dead or missing.

Around 27,000 houses and over 3.8 million hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed, causing 109 billion yuan in damage.

China has had six rounds of heavy rain in July, with an average rainfall of 157.5mm, according to China's emergency management ministry.

The Yangtze River region saw its heaviest rainfall since 1961, rising by 57.2% compared to previous years.

A total of 46 national observation stations in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan provinces have reported record-breaking amounts of rainfall, in which 20 of them recorded the highest rainfall in history.

The natural disasters that China had suffered as of July are mainly flooding and geological disasters, while strong wind and hail disasters, earthquakes, droughts and wildfires had occurred to varying degrees.

It has been confirmed that various natural disasters have affected more than 43 million people, causing direct economic losses of 117 billion yuan.

Compared to the average over the same period in the past five years, the number of people affected by disasters, and those dead or missing, dropped by 9% and 58%, respectively. Emergency evacuation increased by 18%, while fewer houses collapsed, falling by 74%. 

(Compiled by Liu Tianzi)