Torrential rains have pounded parts of Hunan province since Tuesday afternoon, disrupting railway and highway traffic in the region, local authorities said Wednesday.

More than 30 passenger trains on three major railway lines in the province have been delayed due to the rainstorms, a spokesman with the Guangzhou Railway (Group) Corporation said.

Hundreds of technical workers have been dispatched to conduct safety checks on the railway lines, the spokesman said.

Trains are traveling at slower speeds because of the rain, he said.

Meanwhile, rainstorms have triggered flash floods and landslides in west Hunan's Mayang county, swelling rivers, destroying houses and cutting off traffic on a major highway, a county government spokesman said.

More than 20,000 rural residents have been evacuated, he said.

More torrential rains is expected to hit central and northern Hunan in the coming few days, according to local meteorological authorities.