At least four people were killed, while hundreds and thousands of others were forced to evacuate their homes as heavy rains in southern China over the weekend led to deadly flooding in the region.

The death toll was reported in Guangdong province, home to 127 million people, as widespread flooding displaced more than 110,000 people by Monday, including about 25,800 in shelters, CNN reported.

One of the four victims was a rescue worker, state news agency Xinhua said in a report, adding that 10 people remain unaccounted for.

Across Guangdong province, about 1.16 million homes were without power over the weekend, but by Sunday night power had been restored to about 80 percent of homes, the BBC said.

The Pearl River Delta, one of China’s most populous regions, has been experiencing torrential rains since April 16, a CNN report said.

Four weather stations in Guangdong recorded record rainfall in April.

Annual floods occur in the Pearl River Delta from April to September. But it has faced intense rainstorms and severe flooding in recent years.

State broadcaster CCTV said 44 rivers in the Pearl River basin have been flowing above the warning line since last week.

Authorities warned of a “once-in-a-century flood” as the Bei River, which flows through the Pearl River Delta, was expected to reach 19 feet above the warning limit.

A local meteorologist said the “monstrous floods in the Bei River are the first on record to hit China in the highest category of the four-level classification system”, CNN reported.

He added that floods of this magnitude usually occur after the end of June.

Meanwhile, photos and aerial footage showed villages almost completely submerged in floodwaters, with only the roofs of houses and tree tops visible in some places.

Xinhua news agency said more than 80 houses had either collapsed or been damaged, while schools were suspended and flights canceled in the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

As of Monday, the deadly floods have resulted in direct economic losses of about 140 million yuan (USD 20 million), the news agency added.

Additional heavy rain is expected in Guangdong this week, according to the provincial weather bureau.

China’s meteorological department has also warned of torrential rain in coastal areas of neighboring Fujian until at least Tuesday.

“Moderate to heavy” rain is expected in other parts of the country, including Beijing, Tianjin and Heibei.

In July 2023, a series of typhoons caused heavy rain and flooding in the country’s capital Beijing and surrounding provinces.

That month, Beijing experienced its heaviest rainfall in 140 years.