In China, at least 54 people have been killed over the past week due to heavy rain, strong winds and hail across the country. The National Disaster Reduction Committee on Wednesday said thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds and hail have hit 267 counties in 18 provincial regions since Friday. It said these disasters affected nearly 6.4 million people and resulted in direct economic losses of 4.07 billion yuan. The committee said the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as the provinces of Shandong, Sichuan and Hubei, were hit hardest. According to the provincial civil affairs department, in Weihai, a coastal city in eastern Shandong Province, heavy rains and floods have toppled 107,000 houses and forced the relocation of more than 124,000 people since Sunday.