Typhoon Maysak Makes Landfall in Hainan as China Raises Alert

Typhoon Maysak, the 10th named tropical cyclone of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season and the first to make landfall in China this year, is approaching Hainan Island with authorities scrambling to implement emergency measures. Hainan Province has raised its emergency alert from Level IV to Level III as the storm barrels toward the island’s southeastern coast.

Rapid Escalation of Warnings

The storm formed in the early hours of July 3 in the South China Sea, intensifying rapidly from a tropical depression to a named tropical storm. According to Xinhua News, the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Bureau raised the typhoon warning from Level IV (blue) to Level III (yellow) at 6:30 AM on July 3, signaling that authorities expect significant impact within 24 hours.

Just 30 minutes later, at 7:00 AM, the Hainan Provincial Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief Committee escalated the flood and typhoon emergency response to Level III, as China News Service reported. The upgrade triggered mandatory emergency protocols across the province.

Storm Trajectory and Intensity

As of 5:00 AM on July 3, the typhoon’s center was located approximately 155 kilometers south-southeast of Lingshui County, Hainan, at coordinates 17.2°N, 110.5°E. The CNR / Yangguang Net confirmed maximum sustained winds of 18 meters per second (Force 8 on the Beaufort scale), with a wind radius spanning 90 to 110 kilometers.

Maysak is moving north-northwest at 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, with meteorologists expecting it to intensify as it approaches land. The storm is forecast to make landfall between the cities of Wanning and Sanya on Hainan’s southeastern coast during the afternoon or evening of July 3, with landfall intensity expected to reach tropical storm or severe tropical storm level (23-25 m/s, Force 9-10).

After crossing Hainan Island, the typhoon is projected to enter the Gulf of Tonkin and make a second landfall on the evening of July 4 near the Guangxi-Vietnam border, according to the China Economic Net.

Widespread Transportation Disruptions

Authorities have taken preemptive action to protect residents. All roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait were suspended from 2:00 AM on July 3, with operations expected to remain halted for one to two days. Haikou’s three major ports — Xinhai Port, Xiuying Port, and Railway South Port — are fully closed.

Rail services across the island have ground to a halt. All intercity trains, the Hainan Ring Railway, the Sanya-Ledong Tourism Railway, and Haikou city trains are suspended for July 3 and 4.

Rainfall and Flood Risk

The storm is expected to unleash torrential rainfall across 11 counties and cities in Hainan, including Qiongzhong, Wanning, Danzhou, Baisha, Changjiang, Dongfang, Ledong, Wuzhishan, Baoting, Lingshui, and Sanya. Accumulations of 150 to 250 millimeters are forecast, with localized totals exceeding 350 millimeters.

Central Meteorological Observatory Chief Forecaster Chen Tao warned of a dangerous叠加效应 (superimposition effect), as cited by the China Economic Net. “Affected by the long-distance moisture transport from the typhoon, rainfall along the Meiyu front in the Jianghan and Jianghuai regions will also significantly increase,” Chen said, noting that this could compound the persistent Meiyu rainfall that has affected the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River since late June, significantly raising the risk of mountain torrents, geological disasters, and small-to-medium river flooding.

Wind speeds are also a major concern. The Qiongzhou Strait is expected to experience maximum gusts of Force 9-10, while other sea areas around Hainan and the Gulf of Tonkin could see winds reaching Force 10-12.

Broader Regional Context

Maysak’s impact will extend well beyond Hainan. From July 3 to 6, rainbands are expected to affect Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces. The second landfall on the Guangxi-Vietnam border will require coordinated disaster response between the two countries.

Meanwhile, northern China is experiencing a contrasting extreme weather event — the largest-scale heatwave of the year, with Xinjiang and Gansu facing extreme high temperatures. This dual weather crisis highlights the strain on China’s emergency response resources.

What to Watch

As Typhoon Maysak makes its approach, the primary concerns remain public safety and the protection of Hainan’s tourism-dependent economy during peak summer season. The agricultural sector, particularly rubber, tropical fruit, and rice production in the 11 highest-risk counties, faces significant threat from the anticipated deluge.

The most critical unknown is how the superimposition effect with the Yangtze River basin’s existing Meiyu rainfall will unfold. If the typhoon-enhanced precipitation triggers widespread flooding, the disaster could extend far beyond Hainan’s shores.