Several people have been killed after heavy rains hit parts of Asia over the past week, brought by the latest in a series of typhoons that scientists warn are growing more frequent under climate change. Typhoon Wutip started out as an area of convection west of Micronesia, according to a June 5 weather advisory from the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. It developed into a low-pressure area the next day, causing heavy rains and fueling the southwest monsoon in the Philippines. At least three people drowned after attempting to swim across an overflowed spillway in the province of Misamis Oriental. As Mongabay has previously reported, scientists say climate change is making such extreme weather events in the Philippines more common. By June 9, the storm had developed into a tropical depression over the South China Sea. It intensified into Tropical Storm Wutip on June 11 and flooded parts of Vietnam, where at least seven people were killed. The number of deaths caused by disasters in Vietnam tripled in 2024 compared to the year before. More than 100 houses were damaged and at least 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of farmlands were flooded. A number of roads were also flooded, including parts of a national highway. Rescue operations were still underway for missing people over the weekend, local media reported. The bad weather forced the Miss Vietnam beauty pageant to reschedule its final event, which was supposed to be held outdoors. By June 14, Wutip had intensified into a typhoon and made…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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