NANCHANG - Thunderstorms and hailstorms this month have left 12 people dead and forced over 1,600 people to evacuate in East China's Jiangxi province, local civil affairs authorities said Thursday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the latest thunderstorm, which started Sunday, had damaged over 1,800 homes and forced over 1,600 people in 23 counties to relocate, said an official with the provincial civil affairs bureau.

The storm has also damaged 26,000 hectares of crops, and direct economic loss is estimated to top 200 million yuan ($31.7 million).

Meanwhile, two people have died in lightning strikes since Sunday, bringing the death toll to 12 after strong winds and hailstorms earlier in the month left 10 people dead in the province, said the official.