Home / Disasters and Accidents / Typhoon Wipha Slams Southern China, Causing Widespread Damage
Typhoon Wipha Slams Southern China, Causing Widespread Damage
21 Jul
Summary
- Typhoon Wipha made landfall in southern Guangdong province on Sunday
- Winds over 118 km/h uprooted trees, triggered landslides, and left thousands without power
- Severe heatwave and other storms have also affected China, killing dozens and causing extensive damage
In the past week, China has been battered by a series of extreme weather events, including Typhoon Wipha, which made landfall in southern Guangdong province on Sunday evening. The powerful storm, with winds exceeding 118 km/h, caused widespread damage, uprooting trees, triggering landslides, and leaving thousands without power.
The typhoon also disrupted travel across the Pearl River Delta, grounding over 900 flights in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai. Hong Kong was briefly placed under its maximum typhoon warning as gusts exceeded 167 km/h, and authorities reported 471 fallen trees and at least 26 injuries linked to the storm.
The extreme weather in China is not limited to Typhoon Wipha. In recent weeks, the country has also faced a severe heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 46°C in some areas, and a separate set of storms that triggered flash floods in Henan and Gansu provinces, where rivers burst their banks and buildings collapsed, leaving at least seven people dead or missing.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has reported that China's first-half disaster toll included at least 307 people dead or missing, over 23 million affected residents, and more than $7.6 billion in economic damage, with the bulk caused by weather-related events. Authorities have warned of continued extreme weather through July and August, China's typical peak season for typhoons and floods.
