China issued red alerts as extreme monsoon rain trigger flash floods across central and southern regions, threatening lives, and infrastructure.

Red alerts were issued Thursday night for Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and the Guangxi region.

The heavy rains are straining China’s ageing flood defences and pose risks to millions of people and the country’s $2.8 trillion agricultural sector.

With the rainy season starting earlier than usual in June, the following weeks are expected to bring scorching heat that could damage already waterlogged crops and critical infrastructure.

In southern Hunan, the Lishui River breached safety levels by over two meters, causing the worst flooding since 1998.

In Chongqing, flash floods submerged apartment buildings and swept away vehicles, with nearly 300 people evacuated from their homes with rivers rising as much as 19 metres.

Zhaoqing in Guangdong province also saw record-breaking floods, cutting power supplies.

Economic damage from natural disasters last July topped $10 billion, while losses in 2020 tripled that amount due to one of the longest rainy seasons in decades.

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