Torrential rain lashes central China, leaving 21 dead

Hundreds of homes destroyed and almost 6,000 people evacuated amid power cuts and landslides in Hubei province

At least 21 people died as heavy downpours struck central China's Hubei province, authorities said today, weeks after record floods wreaked havoc and killed hundreds in a neighbouring province.

China has been battered by unprecedented rains in recent months, extreme weather that experts say is increasingly common due to global warming.