BEIJING: A tropical depression may hit southern China as early as Thursday, meteorologists cautioned, bringing rain and gales to a flood-hit region still recovering from the impact of Typhoon Wutip two weeks ago.

The tropical depression could make landfall somewhere between the island province of Hainan and Guangdong on the mainland on Thursday morning, China's National Meteorological Centre said in an online bulletin on Wednesday.

The storm will again test the flood defences of densely populated Guangdong as well as Guangxi and Hunan further inland.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated when Wutip tore through the region from June 13 to 15, dumping record rains and damaging roads and cropland. Five people died.

China has battled with summer floods for millennia, but some scientists say climate change is resulting in heavier and more frequent rain. Massive flooding could set off unforeseen "black swan" events with dire consequences such as dam collapses, Chinese officials say.

NEW YORK, June 26 — As tens of thousands of people braced for more extreme heat yesterday, authorities and public health experts in the United States issued heat warnings to help keep people safe. Cities of the US Midwest and East Coast were seeing temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit (32-38 degrees Celsius) this week, as was much of southern Europe.

What are the health risks from extreme heat?

Heat can affect health in various ways. With heat exhaustion, a person can feel dizzy, shaky, thirsty or develop a headache. It is not usually serious unless the person is unable to cool down within 30 minutes.

When people are unable to cool down, they can develop heatstroke — a medical emergency defined as the body’s core temperature, usually close to 36.8 Celsius, going above 40.6 Celsius.

A person with heatstroke may have symptoms including rapid breathing, confusion, seizures, or nausea. Without medical attention, heatstroke can lead to long-term organ damage and death. High temperatures are especially dangerous when combined with high humidity, which makes it harder for people to cool down by sweating. Both are expected to rise with climate change, as warmer air can hold more moisture.

Who is at risk?

Extreme heat can be harmful to anyone, but some populations are more vulnerable than others.

Experts are most concerned about older people, young babies, and people who are socially isolated. They also worry about outdoor labourers and people struggling economically.

People with pre-existing health conditions, such as lung disease, heart problems or diabetes, should also be extra cautious.

Experts say more deaths occur earlier in the summer when people’s bodies have not had a chance to acclimatise.

Statistics on heat-related deaths are often considered to underestimate the impact of extreme heat because many countries do not record heat as a specific cause of death.

Less obvious risks of extreme heat

Apart from testing a body’s ability to regulate its own temperature, extreme heat can pose a host of secondary risks.

Warmer temperatures encourage the growth of bacteria and algae. So heatwaves can raise the risk of water being contaminated with diseases such as cholera, or of lakes and rivers becoming choked with toxic algae.

Heat can also damage crops or buckle roads and disrupt transport systems.

Wildfires fuelled by dried-out trees or shrubs can lead to dangerous levels of air pollution.

Heat stress, including the sleep disruption caused by heat, can also contribute to poorer mental health.

Medical experts expect that certain diseases will expand their ranges as climate change enables disease-carrying insects to move into new areas.

For example, we could see more of the deadly, tick-borne Powassan virus, while scientists also have mapped the expanding habitat of Aedes mosquitoes, which carry dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya.

In California’s Central Valley, desert-loving fungal spores that cause Valley fever could do well as temperatures climb.

What you can do

Public health advisories across the United States urge people to stay cool, stay hydrated, and avoid over-exertion.

Many cities have set up public cooling centres or are providing free access to air-conditioned public transport.

Employers should ensure workers have adequate breaks and hydration, and that they are not working outdoors when the heat is dangerous. — Reuters

COLOMBIA: Angka korban kejadian tanah runtuh di bandar Bello yang terletak di barat laut Colombia meningkat kepada 11 orang dengan 15 lagi masih hilang.

Arahan pemindahan dan usaha menyelamat masih diteruskan sehari selepas kejadian tersebut, dengan pegawai kerajaan memberi amaran hujan lebat menjadi ancaman berterusan di kawasan sekitar Medellin, bandar kedua terbesar di Colombia.

Hujan lebat menimbulkan risiko tinggi ke atas rumah sementara penduduk yang dibina di cerun bukit yang boleh menjadi tidak stabil semasa tempoh hujan berterusan. Kebiasaannya, golongan miskin di negara itu yang tinggal di kawasan berbahaya ini dengan ramai antara mereka adalah pelarian akibat konflik di kawasan luar bandar Colombia dan mencari perlindungan di bandar.

Dewan Bandaraya Medellin turut mengeluarkan arahan berpindah bagi kawasan Villatina, yang juga terletak di pinggir Medellin dengan menyatakan bahawa 23 bangunan akan dirobohkan kerana berisiko runtuh. Arahan tersebut dibuat berdasarkan kejadian tanah runtuh yang berlaku pada akhir Mei dan risiko akibat struktur bangunan yang bertambah buruk akibat hujan lebat baru-baru ini.

Sekitar 60 buah rumah juga diarahkan untuk dikosongkan di Medellin yang mengalami kerosakan semasa ribut yang melanda baru-baru ini. – AL JAZEERA

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd has denied a SelangorKini report claiming that treated sewage discharge was the cause of flooding in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam.

According to IWK, its operations team conducted an inspection following a complaint by Zone 9 city councillor Ramu Nadarajan and found that the primary cause of the overflow in drains and ditches was poor maintenance.

“The drainage system was clogged with rubbish, sediment and tree roots, which obstructed water flow,” the company said in a statement today.

As a result, treated effluent from a nearby sewage treatment plant (STP) and rainwater from the residential area could not drain properly.

IWK added that the area’s low-lying location and its proximity to Sungai Klang also contribute to frequent flooding.

IWK clarified that the existing sewerage infrastructure and STP, which have been in operation for over 30 years, were built in accordance with technical plans based on the area’s original development design.

“The discharge route for treated effluent has remained unchanged since the plant was built,” it said.

The company also stated that two Aerated Lagoon-type STPs serve the neighbourhood and both are operating within their designed population equivalent (PE) capacity, without signs of overloading.

The findings have been shared with the Zone 9 councillor and the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).

Earlier, SelangorKini reported that Ramu had urged IWK to redirect the treated discharge, claiming the existing route was contributing to repeated floods in the area. — Bernama