A massive storm in Vietnam has caused severe flooding and is wreaking havoc on crops in the region.

What's happening?

According to VnExpress, Storm Wutip caused severe rainfall in Vietnam, well before the storm had even made landfall. From 7 p.m. on June 11 until 4 p.m on June 12, the storm dumped between 7 and 11 inches of rain on the Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, and Kon Tum provinces, with some areas receiving up to 13 to 21 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. 

This led to widespread flooding, landslides, and roads being washed away by the massive influx of water. 

Farmers tried in vain to save as much of their harvest as they could, but with the torrential downpour hitting the area fast and hard, they found much of the farmland already underwater. 

"This is the first time I've seen flooding in the middle of summer," said Nguyen Quoc Than, 42, chairman of Dai Hung Commune.

Why is this storm important?

While Wutip technically hit during Vietnam's typhoon season, which runs from June through November, a storm dumping this much rain in such a short period of time is absolutely an aberration. 

It's particularly notable because storms of this level are rare this early in the season; peak typhoon season runs from August to October, and a big storm making landfall in mid-June is an ominous sign for the rest of the season. 

The cause of this uptick in severe weather events is our changing climate. As our planet heats up due to excess human-caused pollution in the atmosphere, Earth's weather patterns become more erratic and feature more severe changes in weather. 

Prolonged periods of drought can be followed by massive storms, and hurricanes and tornadoes can become more severe as a result of the overall warmer air in the atmosphere.

 What's being done about severe weather?

In Vietnam and southern China, residents have been rebuilding after Wutip hit the coast on June 13. It's not clear the economic impact the loss of crops will have at this point, but rebuilding the infrastructure in Vietnam will take time and money. 

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Globally, climate mitigation efforts are widespread and myriad, including creating more resilient crops that can better withstand flooding and drought. 

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