China Storms Kill 15; Xi Orders All-Out Rescue Effort

At least 15 people have died and nine remain missing across multiple provinces in China after severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding triggered by Typhoon Maysak and extreme convective weather, state media reported on Tuesday. President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out” rescue operations as authorities grapple with the aftermath and brace for another powerful storm approaching the country’s eastern coast.

Background: A Summer of Extreme Weather

Natural disasters are common across China during the summer months, when some regions experience intense rainfall while others suffer extreme heat. In May 2026, at least 22 people were killed after heavy rains lashed central and southern regions, with some areas hit by “record-breaking rainfall,” state media reported. Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of global extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up due to fossil fuel emissions, a trend Chinese officials have linked to global warming.

Hubei: Tornadoes and Severe Convective Weather

The deadliest incidents occurred in Hubei province in central China, where “severe convective weather” — characterized by its sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds — struck cities including Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, and Xianning late Monday, according to The Guardian. At least 11 people were killed and 331 injured, with tornadoes reported in some areas — a rare phenomenon in Hubei, where the last tornadoes occurred in May 2021.

Gale-force winds reaching level 13 on the Beaufort scale — approximately 145 km/h — overturned cars and tore roofs from buildings. State news agency Xinhua reported that 4,800 houses were damaged and 22 collapsed entirely. One person remains missing in the province.

Guangxi: Typhoon Maysak Triggers Reservoir Breaches

In southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Typhoon Maysak brought torrential rain from Saturday through Monday, causing widespread flooding and the breach of two reservoirs in Hengzhou, Nanning. The Liulan Reservoir — a 66-year-old structure built between 1958 and 1960 with a capacity of 95.52 million cubic meters — and the Yunbiao Reservoir both failed, sending torrents of muddy water through downstream areas.

According to Deutsche Welle, at least four people died in Guangxi, with approximately 50,000 to 62,000 evacuated. The Global Times reported that 48,000 people had been evacuated as of Monday evening, with 55,000 affected overall. Guangxi’s flood control emergency response was raised to Level II nationally and Level I locally — the highest possible. China allocated 150,000 disaster relief items to the region.

Huang Lu, Deputy Head of the Nanning Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, said floodwaters in affected areas showed signs of receding as of 8 p.m. Monday.

Gansu: Landslide Buries 33

In a separate incident on Tuesday morning, a landslide in Tanchang County, Longnan City, in northwestern Gansu Province buried 33 people. According to state broadcaster CCTV, 17 people were successfully rescued, while 16 remain trapped. Authorities did not specify what triggered the landslide, but the incident is being reported in conjunction with the broader extreme weather crisis.

Xi Jinping Calls for All-Out Rescue

President Xi Jinping urged officials to “go all out” in organizing emergency operations, state media reported. He called for mobilizing resources for “treating the injured, resettling affected residents, and carrying out disaster prevention and relief work effectively,” as reported by Euronews. Rescue workers in life vests and helmets were deployed on inflatable boats, searching for survivors in flooded areas.

A Looming Threat: Super Typhoon Bavi

China’s National Meteorological Center has warned of more torrential rainfall in central and southern provinces. Compounding the crisis, Super Typhoon Bavi — a Category 5 storm — is tracking across the Pacific toward Taiwan and is forecast to make landfall along China’s eastern coast near the Zhejiang-Fujian border around Saturday, July 11. Bavi has already struck Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, causing widespread destruction but no reported loss of life.

Analysis: Infrastructure Vulnerability and Compound Disaster Risk

The breach of aging reservoirs in Guangxi raises pressing questions about the state of China’s water infrastructure. The Liulan Reservoir was 66 years old and served multiple purposes including hydroelectric power, irrigation, and drinking water supply. With Super Typhoon Bavi approaching, China faces the prospect of back-to-back extreme weather events that could stretch emergency response resources to their limits.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases but also a global leader in renewable energy, with a stated goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The 2026 El Niño phenomenon is expected to contribute to more extreme weather across the country this summer, according to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management.

What to Watch For

As rescue operations continue and floodwaters recede, the death toll may rise further. The approaching Super Typhoon Bavi poses a significant additional threat to already flood-stricken areas and could complicate ongoing relief efforts. The effectiveness of China’s disaster response systems will be tested in the coming days, and questions about long-term infrastructure resilience and climate adaptation are likely to intensify.