WUHAN has declared a red alert as floods threaten to disrupt supply chains vital in the battle against coronavirus.

Heavy rains have swelled rivers and lakes across eastern China in recent days, causing billions in economic damage and forcing almost 15million people to evacuate their homes.

Much of the disruption has been focused in the areas surrounding the River Yangtze, the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world.

Residents in Wuhan have been told that water levels in the portion of the river that runs through the city are reaching their maximum guaranteed safety level.

Footage showed broken roads as well as walkways along the banks of the river submerged by water.

As well as Hubei, where Wuhan is situated, badly-hit provinces include Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.

Flooding in the region is an annual event brought on by summer rains and glacial melt, but this year will be particularly consequential as the world continues to battle the coronavirus.

Xiantao, a city just 50 miles west of Wuhan, is the country's latgest manufacturer of nonwoven fabrics, a vital component of personal protective equipment.

One third of all of China's exports of the fabrics are made in the city.

Michael Einhorn is the president of Dealmed, a US medical supplier which sources disposable lab coats and other equipment from factories in the area.

"It's just creating another major roadblock here in terms of PPE getting into the United States," he told Reuters.

"It is the worst of times for it to happen but that's what we're dealing with right now.

"We cannot get product out for over a week, which is a very long time in our business."

He added that it is thought the disruption could last as long as three weeks.

Water levels at the Three Gorges reservoir, also in Hubei and among the largest reservoirs in the world, are currently more than 10 meters over their normal warning level.

The surface area of Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, is situated in the neighbouring Jiangxi province, has grown by more than 2,000 square kilometres in recent months.

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The flooding has also affected other areas of industry in China, particularly construction and demand for steel.

Analysts have said the disrupt is likely to hamper what had been a better-than-expected economic recovery from the damage brought by coronavirus.

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