Men ride on a scooter under an upturned umbrella in the rain in Beijing, on Thursday. AP

Chinese state media say that 16 people have died and 36 others are missing after a flash flood in western China’s Qinghai province.

A sudden rainstorm triggered a landslide that diverted a river on Wednesday night, state broadcaster CCTV said Thursday.

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The flash flood affected an area with more than 6,000 people and over 1,500 houses, CCTV said. Emergency authorities described it as a "mountain torrent” disaster in Datong county.

Office workers walk with umbrellas during a rainy day in Beijing, Thursday. AP

China is facing a series of flooding disasters this summer and extreme heat and drought in other parts of the country. State media has described the heat and drought as the worst since record-keeping started 60 years ago.

Rivers changed courses and flooded villages and towns.

Local government has sent a rescue team of 2,000 people and more than 160 vehicles for disaster relief.

Since June, China has been grappling with extreme weather from heatwaves to historic floods. The government has blamed climate change, which it says will increasingly affect the economy and society.