Apple has donated seven million yuan (about $1 million) to China as torrential rains continue to wreak havoc in the country, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), a non-governmental organization, said on Monday.

According to the CFPA, Apple is the first U.S. firm to lend a hand to flood victims this year. The CFPA said it would closely work with the Cupertino-based tech giant to ensure that the money is utilized properly, USA Today reported.

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"Our thoughts are with all those devastated by the flooding along the Yangtze River," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, wrote on China's Twitter-like Weibo.

The southern part of China has been severely affected by heavy rainfall and has been flooding since the end of June, making it the worst flooding since 1998, according to Bloomberg. To date, at least 186 people have lost their lives and 32 million individuals across 26 provinces and municipalities are homeless. The government estimates that its economic losses could reach over 57 million yuan ($8.5 billion), although the figure is anticipated to increase.

"In general, it is much drier in northwestern China while wetter in southern China... Southern China may be indeed affected by the ENSO [El Nino Southern Oscillation] this year. Some studies support the notion that when [the] climate is getting warmer, the south is getting wetter," Liu Zhonghui from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong told The Diplomat.

However, experts have warned that the worst is yet to come as there is a high change that the upper reaches of Yangtze River would see even more flooding as the downpour continues. Authorities are anticipating that the flooding would peak later this month or early next month.

Tagsapple, china, torrential rain, Tropical Storm Nepartak, China Foundation For Poverty Alleviation