China Braces as Typhoon Baitu Threatens Landfall

China’s Ministry of Water Resources has warned that Typhoon Baitu — the 13th named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season — may make landfall and affect China during the first half of August, prompting urgent calls for flood and typhoon preparedness. Officials issued the warning during a special consultation on July 31, assessing the storm’s potential impact on multiple major river basins, according to Xinhua News.

A Rapidly Intensifying Super Typhoon

Baitu formed in the western North Pacific in late July and underwent explosive intensification, strengthening from tropical storm to super typhoon in roughly 24 hours. By early July 29, its maximum sustained winds had reached 58 meters per second — about 210 kilometers per hour — at the top of China’s 17-grade wind scale, as 21st Century Business Herald reported. Forecasters said the storm could strengthen further, with peak winds potentially reaching 68 m/s, and that Baitu would have no impact on China for the following five days.

Ministry Urges Comprehensive Defense

During the July 31 consultation, the ministry identified a wide array of river systems at risk of significant water-level rises during the August 1–15 period. These include the Pearl River basin’s Yujiang and Dongjiang tributaries, the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze and its tributaries, Yunnan’s Lancang and Nu rivers, the Taihu basin, river networks in Zhejiang and Fujian, the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and the Heilongjiang, Songhua, and Nen rivers in the northeast.

Some major rivers could see numbered flood events, while smaller rivers in storm-affected areas may exceed warning levels, with a high risk of mountain torrents. Ministry officials stressed the “four no’s” objectives: no loss of life, no dam failures, no breaches of major levees, and no impact on critical infrastructure. They called on authorities to prepare for the most unfavorable scenario and make the fullest possible arrangements to safeguard lives and property.

Seven priority tasks were outlined: strengthening rainfall and water-condition monitoring, defending against mountain torrents, ensuring reservoir safety through the flood season, reinforcing levee patrols, guarding against urban waterlogging, defending Loess Plateau check dams, and coordinating flood-control engineering dispatch across basins.

Track Remains Uncertain

Forecast models still diverge sharply on Baitu’s eventual path. As China Ningbo Net noted, possibilities range from Japan and the Korean Peninsula to a direct approach toward East China, with some European and US models suggesting a possible landfall around August 8–9 in southern Zhejiang or northern Fujian. The track is expected to become clearer next week, depending on the storm’s intensity and the behavior of the subtropical high.

The warnings come as eastern Zhejiang endures the strongest heat wave of the summer, with daytime highs in Ningbo reaching 37–39°C and locally nearing 40°C. The prolonged heat has raised the stakes for relief and flood-control efforts alike.

What to Watch

With the storm’s immediate path still uncertain, the key factors in the coming days are whether Baitu intensifies further and whether the subtropical high steers it toward Japan, Korea, or the Chinese mainland. For now, the storm remains far from China’s coast, and forecasters see no direct impact on the mainland within the next five days. With vast river basins already on alert, Chinese authorities are preparing for the worst — even as the storm’s ultimate destination remains an open question.