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Massive floods in central China caused by record-breaking rainfall have forced more than 100,000 to evacuate their homes.

12 people have died in the flooding and more than a dozen cities in Henan province, including its provincial capital Zhengzhou, are affected.

Local authorities called the floods a "once in 100 years" event.

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday the "flood prevention situation was very severe" and at a "critical stage".

Henan province, home to around 94 million people, has issued its highest level of weather warning.

A rescue operation is underway and soldiers are diverting rivers which have burst their banks.

Henan has experienced "rare and severe rainfall" since Saturday, China's meteorological authority said.

Zhengzhou saw 622.7mm of rainfall on Tuesday which "smashed historical records".

The amount of rain over the last three days in Zhengzhou has been reported to be the same as would normally fall over an entire year.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.

Henan is part of the Yellow River basin in China and has several major river systems running through the province which are prone to flooding.

Scientists have warned that widespread dam construction has also increased climate change problems in China's flood zone.

Connections between rivers and lakes have been cut - which has disrupted flood plains that would have absorbed much of the region's annual summer rain.

The rain began over the weekend, with storms intensifying on Tuesday.

By Tuesday night, Zhengzhou and other places in Henan province saw widespread flooding.

Thousands of people have been evacuated and hundreds have been trapped in trains and subway carriages. At least 12 people are reported to have died.

Several dams and reservoirs have breached warning levels, and flights and train operations in many parts of Henan have been cancelled.

President Xi Jinping said that the floods had already resulted in "significant loss of life and damage to property", and instructed all departments to prioritise "the safety of people and their property", according to state news agency Xinhua.