Phnom Penh: His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni has written to Chinese President Xi Jinping expressing his condolences for the devastating floods that have caused the deaths of at least 33 people.

The King says, "I was distressed to learn of the loss of lives and that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated to shelters, caused by torrential rains which battered central China's Zhengzhou City and more than a dozen of cities in Henan province."

"In this hour of national grief and sorrow, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, the Royal Family and the people of Cambodia join me to convey our most sincere condolences and sympathies to Your Excellency and to the families of the victims."

The King added that he is confident that the “great and heroic citizens of the People's Republic of China and its leaders will be able to overcome this difficult challenge.”

China’s Henan province is experiencing record rain that has left at least 33 people dead while many are being evacuated. The number of deaths include at least 12 people who were killed after water flooded the subway in the provincial capital Zhengzhou.

China’s Meteorological Administration says heavy rain is expected to continue to fall in parts of Henan as well as neighboring Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, through Thursday.