Heavy rainfall from Typhoon Narra has caused widespread flooding in southern China, prompting authorities to relocate over 54,000 people in the Guangxi region. A separate typhoon system is simultaneously moving towards Japan and Taiwan.
Typhoon Narra has intensified flooding across southern China, with water levels in some areas reaching record heights. In Chongzuo, located in Guangxi province, authorities evacuated more than 15,000 residents after floodwaters surpassed the highest levels recorded since 2008. The rising waters submerged homes and shops, with some buildings experiencing water levels that reached their rooftops and electrical lines. State television reported that relocations across the broader Guangxi region have affected approximately 54,000 people in total.
The typhoon has remained stationary over the Beibu Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Tonkin in the northwestern South China Sea, for several days, unleashing sustained heavy rainfall on Guangxi and neighboring provinces including Hainan and Guangdong. Authorities in Chongzuo issued notices on Monday requiring all commercial businesses and tourist operations to suspend activities and cautioning evacuated residents against returning to high-risk zones. Weather forecasts indicate that torrential rainfall is expected to continue through Wednesday across portions of Vietnam and southern China, with Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian provinces all facing significant precipitation.
While Typhoon Narra affects mainland China, a separate weather system is creating hazards in East Asia. Typhoon Saudel, classified as medium-strength, is advancing toward southern Japan and northern Taiwan. Taiwan's government reported one fatality and four missing persons resulting from a tropical depression that produced extensive flooding in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung. During a three-day period, Kaohsiung received almost one meter of rainfall, exceeding precipitation levels from 2009's Typhoon Morakot, which caused approximately 700 deaths and $3 billion in damages. Japan's weather agency has warned of destructive winds as Saudel approaches Okinawa prefecture, while Taiwan's Central Weather Administration expects the typhoon to bring rainfall from late Thursday through Friday, though uncertainty remains regarding the precise timing and magnitude of its impact.
