Pakistan, June 20 -- China issued red flood alerts across multiple provinces on Friday as extreme storms continue to slam the country's central and southern regions. The heavy downpours, triggered by the early arrival of the East Asia monsoon, are putting millions at risk and disrupting the world's second-largest economy.
According to state media, the warnings-the first of the year-affect Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and the Guangxi region. Authorities fear that the ongoing rainfall, intensified by climate change, could overwhelm outdated flood defenses, destroy crops, and displace communities.
The situation in Hunan is particularly severe. On Thursday, floods along the Lishui River rose over two meters above safety levels, markin...