Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes because of severe flooding in parts of China.

Torrential rain battered some provinces in the east, south and centre of the country, affecting nearly 300,000 people in Jiangxi alone.

Starting on Sunday afternoon, 142 millimeters of rain pelted Lingshan Town in Fenyi County, forcing more than 400 people to leave their homes.

The level of the Liujiang River in Guangxi also rose rapidly.

China's flood season begins in June, so it is likely that there will be more heavy rains to come.

The water has also caused serious agricultural damage, meaning 70 per cent of white lotus and tobacco crops in Jiangxi will have no harvest at all.