Heavy rains in southern China have killed nine people and left six missing, state media reported Thursday.

Downpours in Guangdong province this week sparked floods and landslides, with the spate of extreme weather impacting nationwide.

In Jiaoling county near the city of Meizhou, five people died and two were missing following floods, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

In a separate district of Meizhou, four more were killed and four others were unaccounted for, CCTV said.

It added that some areas have endured "once-a-century flooding... (or) the biggest since historical records began".

CCTV said on Tuesday that five people had died in landslides in Meizhou.

The torrential rains in the south have come as much of northern China has baked under soaring temperatures well above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather like heavy rains and heat waves more frequent and intense.

Greenhouse gases are a major cause of climate change, and China is the world's biggest emitter.