China floods: Thousands moved to safety after heavy rainfall

Around 60,000 people in southern China have been moved to safety after days of record-breaking heavy rainfall hit the region.

The weather has caused flooding and landslides in Guangdong province, as well as neighbouring Jiangxi and Fujian.

Schools have been closed in at least three cities and over 1 million households lost power over the weekend.

Several major rivers have burst their banks and authorities say they are closely monitoring the "dangerously high" water levels.

What's happened?

Guangdong is a coastal province located in the south of China and is home to around 127 million people.

Much of Guangdong is part of the Pearl River delta, a low-lying are where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea.

The region is prone to floods, however the recent bad weather has come much earlier than expected, as the province's annual flooding season usually takes place in May and June.

Guangdong's capital, Guangzhou, as well as smaller cities Shaoguan and Heyuan are among the worst affected areas.

Emergency services have helped move around 60,000 people to safety after many homes across the province collapsed or were left severely damaged.

China's meteorological authorities have warned that heavy rains will continue in Guangdong and coastal areas of neighbouring Fujian until at least Tuesday.

"Moderate to heavy" rain is expected in other parts of the country, including the country's capital Beijing.