A tropical depression hit China’s southern Hainan Island before dawn on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to an area that is still recovering from the deadly floods caused by Typhoon Wutip two weeks ago.
The storm system moved across the island’s northeastern coast and is expected to head in a westward direction before striking Guangdong province for a second landfall. Officials warned of more flooding in exposed areas and issued notices for possible landslides, overflowing rivers, and road blockages throughout Hainan, Guangdong, and surrounding Guangxi.
Meteorological authorities reported that levels of rain might surpass flash flood levels. Emergency crews have been sent to vulnerable areas, and local authorities asked people to remain indoors and restrict unnecessary movement. Ferry operations between Hainan and the mainland were suspended temporarily, and schools in a number of cities were closed as a precautionary measure.
The area had already been pounded by last month’s monsoon rains, which caused catastrophic floods in Hunan and Guizhou, inundating farmland and paralyzing infrastructure. The Rongjiang government has then elevated its flood warning to a red level after unprecedented rain. Viral videos from the region depicted a truck driver suspended in mid-air after a bridge collapsed because of heavy rain.
The premature onset of typhoon activity this year put additional pressure on the disaster readiness of China. Climatologists are more and more attributing the strengthening monsoon weather to climate change and cautioning that such extreme weather is on the increase and growing stronger.
China’s central government has instructed emergency inspections of dams and levees, and relief aid is being shipped to vulnerable areas. Though the tropical depression is not likely to intensify into a typhoon, the authorities warn that its lingering impact will interfere with daily life and farming in highly populated coastal provinces.
Meanwhile, northern China remains under yellow heat alerts as the south faces relentless rain highlighting the widening extremes of the country’s climate challenges.
