The death toll from China's severe storms has risen to 31 in ChongquingMunicipality, according to local authorities.Canton, China's third largest city, recorded 8.39 inches of rain in a24-hour period.
The Lienping mountains, 50 miles to the northeast of the city, recorded 8.69inches.
The storms that moved through the area produced damaging wind gusts,flooding rain, and even a tornado.
Moisture from the south was blocked by a cool, dry air mass now centered byBeijing. This kept the storms in place, dumping large amounts of rain on theregion.
While southern China has had large amounts of rainfall, the plains to thenorth have been much drier than normal.
