At least 20,000 people were evacuated after downpours resulted in the worst flooding in decades in Shaanxi province, flood control authorities said.

The northern part of the province was hit by heavy rain from Tuesday to Wednesday morning, with precipitation of up to 23.4 centimeters. The rainfall pushed water in the Wuding River, a tributary of the Yellow River, to its highest level since 1975.

The situation was even worse along the Dali River, a tributary of the Wuding, which saw its highest water level since 1960, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Wednesday.