Typhoon Maysak triggers floods, thunderstorms and rare tornadoes in China

On Sunday, heavy rain began to fall on Renhe village in southern China’s Guangxi province.

The villagers were used to this. But the rain did not stop and the water suddenly rose.

By early Monday, the water was up to his knees. By dawn, the first floor of their house was completely flooded.

A woman from Renhe, surnamed Zhou, told the BBC: “The flood happened very quickly, the water came very quickly. The villagers did not have time to take food with them when they fled.”

Zhou’s family is among tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes in Guangxi as Typhoon Maysak ripped through the region over the weekend, causing rivers to swell and dam walls to collapse. At least four people died.

As the typhoon flooded the city of Nanning and surrounding villages, residents called for help from the rooftops.

It also triggered thunderstorms and even tornadoes in central Hubei province, hundreds of kilometers away.

At least 17 people were killed, hundreds were injured and tens of thousands were evacuated, according to state media.

The devastation caused by extreme weather conditions led President Xi Jinping to order “all-out” rescue and relief operations.

Typhoons causing widespread flooding are common in China this time of year, with Maysak being the first to make landfall in the country for the 2026 season.

State media said the incident was characterized by “sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds”.

Another storm, Super Typhoon Bavi, is churning in the Pacific and will hit China’s east coast later this week, according to forecasts.

Authorities in Nanning warned that “extremely heavy rain” could hamper rescue efforts.