Torrential rainstorms have lashed some areas of central China, bringing welcome relief to drought-stricken Hunan and Hubei Provinces. But they have also been responsible for a number of disasters in neighboring regions.

The rains have brought down temperatures in Hunan and Hubei Provinces by 10 degrees Celsius. In Wuhan city, residents are feeling the chill of an early autumn.

Wuhan resident said, "It's like the sudden arrival of winter. Even this coat is not enough."

In Wuhan's supermarkets and clothing stores, autumn clothing sales are popular thanks to the cold weather. Sales are up by a half over last year. Meteorologists predict the cold weather will last until Wednesday, when it may once again reach 35 degrees Celsius.

In some other provinces, however, the rain storms have not been so benign. In Sichuan Province, in the country's southwest, torrential rains unleashed landslides and mud rock flows. Over 700 thousand people have been affected. In the municipality of Chongqing, stormy weather has affected nearly 200 thousand people. As the weather clears, disaster relief work has begun. One of the worst-hit areas has been Changning County, in Sichuan Province, where sterilization and monitoring measures are being undertaken to ensure the safety of drinking water and food.