Under the directive, water-resources and emergency-management authorities are tightening monitoring of major rivers and reservoirs and preparing pre-emptive evacuations in risk areas.

Southern and central China have repeatedly suffered urban flooding and landslides from extreme summer rain in recent years.

Forecasters warn of localized torrential rain again this summer, and major cities are hurrying inspections of drainage systems and measures for underground spaces.

Disaster response also ties into food production: floods overlapping the summer harvest can mean agricultural losses, keeping authorities on alert.

With Korea entering its own monsoon preparations, coping with extreme rainfall has become a shared East Asian task.