Heavy rains were forecast for areas of southern China where floods and landslides have already killed at least 101 people, state media reported Monday.

Xinhua News Agency said torrential rains were expected in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces and the city of Chongqing. At least 26 people have gone missing over the last week in the areas because of heavy rains and that about 800,000 people had been evacuated.

"These regions may also experience temporary thunderstorms and heavy winds, which could trigger mountain torrents, landslides and mud flows as well as floods," Xinhua said.

Overall, total direct economic losses could reach 6.9 billion yuan (about US$908 million), Xinhua said, citing a spokesman with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Flooding is a perpetual problem in China, with floods this year killing hundreds of people and destroying or damaging hundreds of thousands of homes, according to the national flood control office.

At the same time, droughts in the north of the country have left at least 7.4 million people short of drinking water, Xinhua said.