China Battles Extreme Weather as Typhoon Maysak Weakens, Heatwave Scorches North
China is confronting a convergence of extreme weather events on July 4, 2026, as Typhoon Maysak weakens after lashing Hainan, a rare and intense heatwave grips Xinjiang and Gansu, and authorities ramp up nationwide flood control and drought relief efforts. Separately, the country’s 16th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition departed from Dalian on July 3, marking a major milestone in polar research.
Typhoon Maysak Weakens, Hainan Recovers
Typhoon Maysak, the 10th named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, made landfall near Yelin Town in Lingshui, Hainan Province on the evening of July 3 as a tropical storm with maximum winds of 23 meters per second. According to Xinhua News, Sanya Phoenix International Airport resumed operations on the morning of July 4, with the first outbound flight departing shortly after reopening. The storm moved through Hainan Island into the northern Beibu Gulf overnight and is forecast to make a second landfall near the Guangxi-Vietnam border on July 4 before turning north and weakening. The Hainan Provincial Meteorological Bureau maintained a Level 3 typhoon warning, and heavy to extreme rainfall is expected across Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Hunan through July 6.
Rare Extreme Heatwave Scorches Northern China
Simultaneously, a powerful continental high-pressure system is driving a severe heatwave across northern China. As reported by China Weather Network via Xinhua, Xinjiang, Gansu, western Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and northern Henan are experiencing temperatures exceeding 38°C, with many areas surpassing 40°C. Turpan and Toksun in Xinjiang may approach or reach 50°C, a level described as “extremely rare for this period.” Meanwhile, southern China under subtropical high pressure is enduring high humidity and persistent heat, with Fuzhou forecast to see high temperatures every day for the coming week and Hangzhou expecting up to six consecutive hot days.
Nationwide Flood Control and Drought Relief Mobilized
The extreme weather has prompted a comprehensive national response. President Xi Jinping chaired a Politburo meeting on June 30 to deploy flood control and drought relief efforts, as detailed by Xinhua News. Level 4 emergency responses are active for typhoon and flood risks in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and Yunnan, with two working groups deployed to Hainan and Guangxi. Authorities have positioned 2,200 professional rescue personnel across 25 standby points in Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Enhanced monitoring using AI forecasting models, multi-ministerial joint consultations, and grassroots Party mobilization are underway. In Gansu, drip irrigation technology is being deployed to combat agricultural drought, while Chongqing activated a Level 4 flood response for 19 districts on July 2.
“We persist in carrying out unified and joint dispatch of large river water conservancy projects,” said Yao Wenguang, Director of the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention at the Ministry of Water Resources. “We will strengthen our sense of urgency, adhere to bottom-line thinking, and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.”
China’s 16th Arctic Expedition Sets Sail
Amid the domestic weather crisis, China’s 16th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition departed from Dalian on July 3, according to CCTV News. Organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the mission involves four vessels—Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi, and Tansan Sanhao—and is expected to complete its mission by early October. This is the first Arctic expedition of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The research will focus on climate change impacts on the Arctic environment, sea ice, hydrology, biology, ecology, and atmospheric monitoring, as well as the Gakkel Ridge accretion mechanism. Chinese scientists will collaborate with Russian and German researchers, underscoring China’s growing role in Arctic governance and sustainable development.
Analysis and Outlook
The simultaneous occurrence of a typhoon, extreme heatwave, and drought across different regions of China in a single week underscores the increasing frequency of compound extreme weather events linked to global climate change. The rapid mobilization of emergency response systems demonstrates China’s evolving disaster management capabilities, while the Arctic expedition signals continued investment in polar science. As heavy rains persist in the south and the heatwave peaks in the north over the coming days, authorities remain on high alert for geological disasters, urban waterlogging, and agricultural losses.