Tropical Depression Threatens Flood-Weary Southern China

A tropical depression may impact southern China, bringing rain to already flood-affected areas recovering from Typhoon Wutip. The storm is expected to hit between Hainan and Guangdong, testing flood defenses. Climate change is blamed for intensified rainfall. Emergency funds have been allocated for relief efforts in affected regions.

Meteorologists have warned that a new tropical depression could hit southern China as early as Thursday, threatening regions still reeling from Typhoon Wutip two weeks ago. The storm is anticipated to bring heavy rain and strong winds to an area already struggling to recover.

The National Meteorological Centre of China has forecasted that the tropical depression may make landfall between Hainan Island and the Guangdong mainland on Thursday morning. This poses a stern test for the flood defenses of densely populated areas in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan, where Wutip had previously forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

Adding to the concern, unusually heavy rains have already battered southwestern Guizhou province, causing rivers to swell and infrastructure damage. In response, Beijing's economic planning agency has rapidly allocated emergency funds to aid disaster relief efforts in the hardest-hit provinces.