Typhoon Doksuri, which struck the Philippines, Taiwan, and China from July 26 to 29, 2023, resulted in significant damage, displacements, and fatalities. The storm left 41 dead in the Philippines before lashing Taiwan and making landfall in mainland China, causing widespread evacuations, record-breaking rainfall, and severe economic losses.
Typhoon “Doksuri” — known as Egay in the Philippines — intensified into a super typhoon on Wednesday, July 25, 2023, having reached a maximum sustained wind speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) — the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic.
On Monday, July 17, 2023, Typhoon “Talim” — the fourth named storm of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season and the first to make landfall in China — prompted the evacuation of 39 236 fishing vessels and over 36 600 fishermen in Hainan, South China. The typhoon, which initially made landfall in Guangdong Province on the same day, led to a renewed Orange alert by China’s national observatory due to anticipated gales and heavy rainfall.
Tropical Storm “Talim” formed in the East China Sea on July 14, 2023, as the 4th named storm of the 2023 Pacific Ocean typhoon season. The storm is heading toward southern China, with landfall expected in Guangdong Province around 18:00 UTC on July 17.
More than 40 000 people have been evacuated in China’s Sichuan province after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides. The rains have also caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.
Rescue operations are in progress in central China’s Hubei Province after a massive landslide struck a highway construction site on Saturday, July 8, 2023. The landslide, which involved over 500 000 m3 (17.6 million ft3) of soil, has led to the rescue of five individuals, while nine others remain missing, according to a statement from local authorities.
In response to severe flooding over the past couple of days, over 10 000 individuals were urgently evacuated in China’s central Hunan province, according to the Xiang’xi Emergency Management Bureau. The devastation included the collapse of around 70 homes, damages to 2 283 others, and flooded farmlands, leading to estimated losses of around 575 million yuan ($79 million).
Four people have died and three others are missing after landslides, triggered by flash floods, hit Wenchuan county in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on June 27, 2023. The landslides have led to the evacuation of more than 900 people.
Beijing experienced a record-breaking mid-June temperature of 39.4°C (103°F) on June 16, 2023, as reported by China’s meteorological authority, which has issued warnings for the public to stay indoors and avoid heatstroke.
China’s Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS), the largest of its kind globally, has been completed, according to an announcement by Min Yiren, the head of the China Earthquake Administration (CEA), on June 8, 2023. The system is anticipated to be fully functional by the end of the year, covering more than 15 000 monitoring stations, three national centers, 31 provincial centers, and 173 prefectural and municipal information release centers.
