This week, much of the continental United States remains baking under unseasonably hot temperatures. But in parts of East Asia, extreme weather of a different kind is bringing a different set of concerns.
Weather forecasters in China are warning the southern province of Guangdong could face its worst storm in a decade with Friday’s expected arrival of a second typhoon in less than two weeks.
This storm has already battered the northern Philippines and moved on to Taiwan, where just the expectation of damages has pushed up fresh vegetable prices by as much as a third in local markets.
Further north, far from this storm zone, heavy rains are expected in parts of South Korea today at the rate of nearly 2.5 inches an hour.
On Wednesday, the Korea Meteorological Association announced the end of monsoon season —about the same length as recent years, but with much heavier rainfall.
The Joong Ang Daily quotes a government forecaster as saying that makes this the most intense monsoon season on record.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand’s monsoon season is near its beginning and will linger through October, but with extreme weather taking a different turn.
Government officials are already preparing for drought conditions this fall.
They say if rainfall continues at its current pace, reservoirs will only be at about two-thirds of their capacity.
A public awareness campaign asking people to conserve water is already underway.
