BEIJING - China allocated 110 million yuan ($17.8 million) on Monday for flood relief work in central and southern China's Hunan and Guangdong provinces.

The fund will be used to help relocate flood victims, provide temporary living assistance, reconstruct buildings and offer financial support to relatives of those who died in the floods, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

Torrential rain, sometimes with hail, claimed at least 55 lives and left another 14 missing as of May 17 in the country's central and southern provinces, including Hunan and Guangdong, according to latest figures from the MCA.

Civil affairs and disaster reduction authorities in Hunan and Guangdong have also allocated relief funds and sent relief materials including tents, folding beds and quilts to affected areas.

Heavy rain or rainstorms are due to hit Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan from Sunday to Tuesday, with some of these areas expected to experience precipitation of around 50 to 80 mm, according to the National Meteorological Center.