Five people have been confirmed dead and another five were missing after torrential rains hit northwest China's Shaanxi Province Thursday, a spokesman with the provincial flood control authority said.

The downpours, started from 8:00 AM Wednesday, affected more than 308,000 people in 37 townships. Precipitations in 13 counties exceeded 100 millimeters, the spokesman said.

Floods were reported in 18 rivers of the province, inundating more than 3,100 houses and damaging 3,600 houses, he said.

More than 9,500 hectares of farmland were flooded, and total economic losses are estimated at 64 million yuan (US$8.4 million).

Across the country, 1,279 people died and 239 went missing in natural disasters in the first seven months of this year, figures released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs earlier this week shows.

Extreme weather is still taking toll in the country.

Wutip, the eighth tropical storm, bringing squall and downpours, is expected to land in east coast of China Thursday night.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2007)