A family of six was found dead by rescuers in Fujian province, Chinese state media has reported, adding to the extreme weather deaths after downpours caused landslides in the area.

It comes as authorities extended a warning of more severe weather ahead.

The six people, who had previously been reported missing, were found dead in a temple near their home by rescuers after days of searching in Fujian’s Shanghang county, according to the state-backed Hongxing news.

Workers clean a street flooded after heavy rainfall in Huicheng Town of Shexian County, in central China’s Anhui Province
Workers clean a street flooded after heavy rainfall in Huicheng Town of Shexian County, in central China’s Anhui Province (Fang Junyao/Xinhua via AP)

They had gone to the temple seeking shelter, as it was on higher ground, but the building was toppled by a landslide, killing the family.

Authorities on Friday had said 47 people were dead in neighbouring Guangdong province, which has seen historic flooding caused by the rains.

The weather damaged more than a hundred bridges and flooded farmland, and destroyed roads connecting rural townships.

The heaviest rains were from Sunday into Tuesday, toppling trees and collapsing homes, and authorities estimated billions of dollars in damage.

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued a warning for more extreme weather across a swathe of provinces in the south on Saturday, extending a warning from Friday, and for a few areas in the north.

Henan and Anhui provinces in central China, as well as Jiangsu province on the coast and the southern province of Guizhou, are expecting hail and strong thunderstorms, according to the forecast.

An area affected by torrential rain in Tieshan Township of Zhenghe County, Nanping City, in south-east China’s Fujian Province
An area affected by torrential rain in Tieshan Township of Zhenghe County, Nanping City, in south-east China’s Fujian Province (Huang Jiemin/Xinhua via AP)

In Heilongjiang province in the north east, railways cancelled multiple trains running over the weekend owing to the heavy rain.

Last week, Fujian and Guangxi provinces in southern China experienced landslides and flooding amid heavy rain.

One student died in Guangxi after falling into a river swollen from the downpour.