Several days of heavy rain lashed areas of central and eastern China, resulting in widespread flooding, deaths, and property damage. According the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SCDRH), by Sunday 186 people had died, while another 45 were missing. Damage to property amounted to more than 50 billion yuan (nearly $7.6 billion).

As people around the country are coping with the deluge of water, the SCDRH warned on Sunday that there are two more periods of heavy rain forecast for the coming 10 days. Authorities warned in March that this year’s rainy season, from May to August, would be one of the worst in recent history, owing to a particularly strong El Nino effect.

Over the weekend many of China’s rivers — including the Yangtze, the country’s longest — neared or surpassed their warning levels. On Sunday authorities warned of a flood peak forming on the Yangtze, and on Monday morning water levels along the middle and lower reaches of the river were reported to still be on the rise.

(Header image: Two people swim by a partially submerged pavilion in Wuchang, Hubei province, July 2, 2016. Miao Jian/VCG)