WUHAN - Torrential downpours in central China's Hubei province have left five people dead or missing, affecting the lives of 386,300 people since Wednesday, local authorities said.

Heavy rain began to affect Hubei on Wednesday and continued into Thursday, with precipitations in excess of 200 mm reported in cities of Enshi, Yichang and Jingzhou, an official at the provincial civil affairs department said on Thursday evening.

The rainstorm has damaged over 35,000 hectares of crops and toppled 135 houses, forcing the evacuation of 2,316 people, according to the official.