In China, the number of people killed or missing in devastating floods across the country this year has risen to more than 2,100. The nation's civil affairs ministry said late yesterday said 1,454 people had died in floods this year, another 669 were still missing and more than 12 million had been evacuated from their homes. According to the ministry, 1.4 million homes have been destroyed by the floods that have also caused 275 billion yuan in direct economic losses. China's national meteorological centre today said that large swathes of the nation would see rain in the next 24 hours, although it added the rainfall would be light in most areas. But it warned that the northeast would once again be hit by torrential downpours from tomorrow.