From Sunday to Monday, strong winds were also forecast to hit the northern and central parts in Henan, the provincial meteorological service said.

It said the rain might be a record high for this time of the year, with precipitation of between 250 millimeters and 400 mm expected in some parts of the province.

Heavy rain has also lashed Northwest China's Shaanxi province since Saturday, with precipitation of up to 220.7 mm, the provincial weather service said. In the 24 hours leading up to 6 am Sunday, 42 meteorological stations in the province recorded more than 100 mm of rain.

The Shaanxi meteorological observatory issued an orange alert, the second-highest level, for rainstorms early on Sunday morning, with heavy rain expected to continue in the province.