Heavy rain, extreme heat battle Asia

​​​​​​​By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - Severe weather plagued the Asia-Pacific region Wednesday, with one person dead in southwest China's Yunnan province due to heavy rain, and four others missing, according to the CGTN network.

Authorities are conducting search operations.

China warned many regions, including some in the east and south, about heavy rains that are expected for 24 hours from Wednesday 8 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) to Thursday 8 p.m., according to the state-run Global Times.

Beijing issued an orange alert, the third level of a four-level system, requesting authorities monitor the situation and prepare for evacuations if necessary.

South Korea experienced high temperatures with a heat wave expected to continue through Thursday with temperatures of more than 35° Celsius (95° Fahrenheit), according to the Chosun Biz news website.

Indonesia is also under the grip of unusually heavy rain during the dry season, the Jakarta Globe reported.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency expects the extreme rain to continue until September.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s heavy rains are expected to bring slight relief from high temperatures, according to the Focus Taiwan newspaper.

Taitung County valley areas, however, and the outlying Matsu Islands, are still expected to see the mercury rise to 35° Celsius during the day.

Heavy rain advisories have been issued for several cities.

The Philippines has also cautioned residents against flooding in several areas because of monsoon rains, according to The Nation newspaper.