BEIJING, July 22 -- The number of people affected by heavy rain in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has sharply increased from 98,000 on Monday to 366,000 on Tuesday, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The death toll reached three and more than 8,800 people have been evacuated, according to the daily report posted on the ministry website.

Mudslides, thunderstorms and hail led to the collapse of about 600 houses and damage to more than 2,200, according to the report.

About 197,800 hectares of farm produce have been affected, out of which 33,900 hectares are totally destroyed, which may affect the grain output of the province, the country's top farm produce supplier.

Torrential rain, hitting northeast China and north China since Sunday, has been triggered by typhoon Rammasun, the strongest in four decades that battered southern provinces.