There is some concern about the sporadic periods of heavy rain across southern China. In Hubei, persistent rain and hot temperatures since May have led to an outbreak of wilt. Growers are worried that an outbreak could occur on larger acreage if this weather pattern continues. In the Bozhou District of Anhui Providence, a weather system brought high winds and tornadoes to the region, with heavy rain causing flooding during July 4 - 5. Heavy rain and wind was also recorded in parts of Jiangsu, with 60 mile-per-hour winds recorded in some areas. To the east, flooding has also been reported in Sichuan Providence, which only grows a small amount of cotton. Many of the southern cotton farmers reported rain over the past few days, and additional precipitation is forecast for the second half of the week.
