The civil affairs department in central Hubei province said Sunday that torrential rains caused the deaths of 27 people and left 12 missing since Thursday. Nearly 400,000 people have been evacuated or are in need of aid in the province.
In mountainous Guizhou province in the southwest, 23 people were confirmed dead after a landslide Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Rainstorms soak the southern part of China every year, but this rainy season has been particularly wet.
The Yangtze River flood control headquarters has ordered local authorities to brace for severe floods.