Five people have gone missing after torrential rain hit Morocco's central region of Azilal, the authorities said.

"Three women and two little girls were reported missing Monday following the floods... caused by torrential rain and storm winds," official news agency MAP quoted the authorities as saying.

The victims had been inside one of three houses swept away by a flash flood in a valley known as Wadi Alfet.

Residents and authorities are still looking for missing persons.

Flash floods are common in Morocco's valleys, and storms have hit several locations around the country in recent days, in some cases causing material damage.

The country witnessed record rain levels twice in 2014. Some areas, including southern coastal city Agadir, recorded more than a year's worth of rain in just 10 days.

The heavy downpour killed some 50 people and affected thousands of others in the regions of Agadir, Guelmin and Ouarzazate.