Typhoon Wipha made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province on Sunday evening, bringing winds of over 118 km/h and torrential rain that uprooted trees, triggered landslides, and left thousands without power. The storm hit cities including Yangjiang, Zhanjiang and Maoming, before weakening to a severe tropical storm as it moved inland. Authorities warned of continued flooding and landslide risks across Guangxi and Hainan, with the system expected to re-intensify over the Gulf of Tonkin.
Travel across the Pearl River Delta was severely disrupted, with more than 900 flights cancelled in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Hong Kong issued its highest typhoon warning as gusts exceeded 167 km/h, causing scaffolding to collapse in parts of the city. The territory reported 471 fallen trees and at least 26 storm-related injuries, while 80,000 travellers were affected by the rescheduling of 400 flights.
The typhoon comes amid a summer of extreme weather across China. In July alone, flooding, landslides and storm surges have affected millions in coastal provinces, including Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi. Separate storms last week triggered flash floods in Henan and Gansu, killing at least seven people. Meanwhile, record-breaking heat has gripped other regions, with temperatures reaching 46°C in Xi’an and surface readings exceeding 70°C in some cities. Red alerts were issued in Shaanxi and Yunnan, leading to cooling shelters and restrictions on outdoor work.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management reported that in the first half of the year, at least 307 people were dead or missing, over 23 million residents were affected, and more than $7.6 billion in economic damage was recorded, mostly from weather-related events. The National Meteorological Centre warned of continued extreme weather through July and August, China’s peak typhoon and flood season.
Chen Min, vice-minister of water resources, said at a news conference that the “global trend of climate warming is evident” in China, with “more frequent, intense and widespread extreme weather events” leading to more severe disasters such as heavy rainfall, floods and droughts.
