China hit by heavy flooding as passengers on public transport trapped by waist-high waters

Torrential rain leaves people and cars stranded as China becomes inundated with floodwater as deep as one metre

Heavy rain has brought severe flooding to towns and villages in central China, as officials have warned the water poses a "danger to life".

It comes as the public transport subway system in the city of Zhengzhou has been inundated with rushing water.

Videos shared online showed entire neighbourhoods covered in water at least a metre deep and vehicles floating in the muddy mire.

More than 10,000 residents of Henan province have also been moved to shelters, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The province, home to the Shaolin Temple and many other cultural sites, is one of China’s most populous and a major base for both industry and agriculture.

Some residents have also been spending the night in their workplaces or have checked into hotels to avoid the floods.

Wang Guirong, a 56-year-old restaurant manager, said she planned to sleep on the couch in her restaurant after being told there was no power in her neighbourhood.

"I have lived in Zhengzhou all my life and have never seen such a heavy rainstorm as today," Wang said.

The State Grid Zhengzhou Power Supply Co. said a downtown substation was forced to shut down because of the rain.

China experiences regular flooding during the summer months, but the growth of cities and conversion of farmland into subdivisions has raised the costs of such events.