Asia suffers widespread flooding
Philippines, China, Russia and Pakistan have all been forced to evacuate people as torrential downpours caused rivers to overflow, sweeping away buildings and submerging cars.
Torrential rains brought the Philippine capital, Manila, to a standstill making streets impassable to vehicles while thousands of people across coastal and mountainous northern regions moved to emergency shelters.
Schools, offices, the stock exchange, courts and embassies were closed as the weather bureau placed metropolitan Manila on red alert. The national disaster agency and local officials reported at least two dead and several missing.
In Russia, the Emergency Situations Ministry said that the evacuations are underway in three Far East regions, some 3,100 miles east of Moscow in the wake of floods.
Some of the evacuees have moved into emergency shelters. Authorities estimate that another 14,000 people are also affected.
Pakistan's south Punjab region was put on high alert after water levels of the rivers Ravi and Chenab rose further at the weekend.
In other areas of Punjab, road links and bridges have been washed away, stranding many villagers.
A flood warning has been issued for more than 150 villages adjacent to Chiniot, near the River Chenab. The floods are also likely to hit some parts of Sukkur and Larkana.
Meanwhile in China, flooding has affected millions of people since torrential downpours caused the Nei River to overflow near the city of Fushun, sweeping away homes, roads, and utilities.
State television pictures showed a train track left dangling after its supports were completely washed away in Funshun in Liaoning Province.
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