Weather tracker: Flooding and landslides hit large parts of Asia

Torrential rain has battered Vietnam, southern China and South Korea, leading to multiple deaths

Published 20 July 2026 592 words
ENVIRONMENT C1
Weather tracker: Flooding and landslides hit large parts of Asia

Last week, severe flooding and landslides affected large areas of Asia. Torrential rain caused many deaths as it hit Vietnam, southern China, and South Korea.

In Vietnam, the Phuc Than weather station recorded an extreme amount of rain: 206mm in just 24 hours. This heavy rainfall led to homes being washed away, power outages, and the destruction of nearly 240 hectares of farmland. In the village of Muong Than, flash floods on Friday morning resulted in at least four fatalities, with four other people still missing. South Korea also experienced significant rainfall, with one station in Paju recording 192.5mm, causing widespread flooding of homes and roads.

Meanwhile, many parts of Europe are still suffering from a long period of unusually hot weather. Hot air from Africa has been carried north, leading to a red weather warning being issued for southern Italy on Saturday, which is still in effect. On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures in Palermo, Sicily, are predicted to go over 40C, which is more than 10C higher than the usual temperature for this time of year. This intense heat is expected to move westwards into Spain throughout the week, with temperatures likely to exceed 40C in many areas, and possibly even reach over 45C.

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Elida formed last week. Its strongest winds reached 70mph, just below the speed needed to be classified as a category 1 hurricane. Elida is expected to move north this week and weaken without making landfall. Another tropical storm, named Fausto, developed in the eastern Pacific on Sunday. It is forecast to travel westwards and is likely to become a category 2 hurricane later in the week.

The western Atlantic, however, has experienced a calm tropical hurricane season so far, with no hurricanes and only one tropical storm named Arthur. Currently, there is a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico that is predicted to develop into a tropical storm. It is expected to move along the southern coasts of Louisiana and Texas. If it develops into a tropical storm, it will be named Bertha. It is not expected to become strong enough to be a hurricane, but it still presents a risk of flooding for the southeastern United States.

Vocabulary

torrential rain — very heavy rain
fatalities — people who have died
prolonged — lasting for a long time or longer than usual
migrate westwards — to move gradually towards the west
plume of heat — a large mass of hot air moving in a particular direction
peak recorded wind speeds — the highest wind speeds that were measured
landfall — when a hurricane or storm reaches land
tropical depression — a weather system that is weaker than a tropical storm, often a precursor to one
presents a risk — creates a possibility of danger or problems
calm — not very active or busy

Discussion Questions

  1. What were the main impacts of the torrential rain in Vietnam and South Korea?
  2. How is the heatwave in Europe expected to develop, and what are the projected temperature increases?
  3. Describe the tropical storm activity in the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic oceans, and their potential risks.

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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