At least 12 people were killed as torrential rains continued across southern and central China on Tuesday, with widespread flooding that also closed schools and businesses, and disrupted transport and power supplies, authorities said.

China's weather agency maintained elevated orange alerts on Tuesday for heavy rain and severe stormy weather, warning that the huge precipitation system has entered its strongest, most destructive stage.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said areas of Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan faced a high risk of rain-related disasters, including landslides, flash floods and severe urban flooding and waterlogging. Authorities said they ⁠were launching emergency responses in several affected areas.

Many residents in Jingzhou, a city in central Hubei, were knee-deep in water and able to catch fish swimming in the streets, according to images posted on Chinese video platform Douyin.

Some cars were nearly completely submerged on roads surrounded by residential and commercial buildings.

Torrential rainfall hit the upper reaches of the Baishui River, part of Xuan'en county, with precipitation reaching 292.6mm. The rainstorm caused river water levels to surge rapidly, inundating multiple homes along the Baishui River. Some houses collapsed, while roads and communication services were disrupted.

At least eight people were confirmed dead after a pickup truck carrying 15 farm workers fell into a flooded river in China's southwestern region of Guangxi amid heavy rain, state broadcaster CCTV reported. In ‌separate incidents, three people were killed by flash floods ‌in a low-lying village in Hubei, while another person was killed in southern Hunan province, CCTV said.

Torrential rains also battered Shimen county in Hunan province from 7am Sunday, leaving one person dead and two others missing as of Monday evening, according to Xinhua.

Death toll reaches 25 in China rain, 20 more missing

The death toll from heavy rains across central and southern China since the weekend has risen to 25, state media reports showed Wednesday, with 20 more people still unaccounted for.

Natural disasters and extreme weather events are common in China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience intense rainfall while others bake in searing heat.

Several areas across China have been hit by "record-breaking rainfall" in recent days, state-run broadcaster CGTN said, triggering school and work suspensions as well as allocation of relief funds.