More than 16,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes Wednesday as torrential rains pelted parts of south Guangdong Province, local flood control authorities said.

Heavy rains unleashed by summer monsoons started to pound the Pearl River Delta and the province's west coastal region Tuesday evening, disrupting traffic and forcing people in low-lying areas to leave their homes, said a spokesman with the provincial flood control headquarters.

Over 13,500 of the evacuees were from the worst-hit city of Yangjiang, while the evacuation of the rest 2,500 was reported in the city of Taishan, where downpours flooded 20 villages, said the spokesman.

The headquarters Wednesday sent a work team to the rain-ravaged regions to direct flood-relief operations.

Torrential rains also lashed nearby Fujian Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, prompting local authorities to issue warnings of potential geological disasters.

Authorities in the southwestern province of Sichuan also asked residents to guard against possible landslides and mountain torrents as more rains are expected to hit parts of the province later this week.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2011)