BEIJING - Landslides and floods have killed 24 people in Hubei Province in central China over the past few days, with six still missing in areas battered by storms last month, state media said on Monday.

Rainstorms are expected to continue on Tuesday in parts of Hubei and southwestern Sichuan, both along the Yangtze, China's longest river, the National Meteorological Centre forecast on its Web site (www.nmc.gov.cn).

The latest floods and landslides began last Thursday.

The flood season in southern China, usually from May to September, is notoriously deadly. The country's southeastern provinces expect more damage during the typhoon and tropical storm season that extends to October.

An official from the China Meteorological Administration, Song Lianchun, said heavy rains in July could also spark floods along the Huai River, which flows through eastern China.

Rains there and in Sichuan could be as much as double the average, Song told a news briefing reported on the official government Web site (www.gov.cn).

He said two or three typhoons or tropical storms could hit China's coast in July, when heatwaves would also hit the south of the country.

Downpours wrought havoc across south China early last month, killing about 100 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops.

Floods, landslides and collapsing homes after heavy rains also killed dozens of people in Chongqing and the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou and Hubei in late June.