Typhoon Wipha tears across southern China, threatens Vietnam's coasts

Typhoon Wipha tore across southern China with heavy rain and gale-force winds on July 21, a day after it sliced through Hong Kong and Macau, and left at least five dead in the Philippines.

- Raul Dancel

Wipha made landfall with winds equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane in Taishan in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong late on July 20, setting off heavy downpours in the cities of Yangjiang, Zhanjiang and Maoming.

It weakened into a storm as it made its way westwards and then veered southwards.

China's forecasters said coastal regions—including Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Funan—would experience intense rainfall until early on July 22.

About 20 rivers across China were reported to have broken their banks, flooding nearby areas, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

But many of these areas quickly recovered from the typhoon's impact, it said.

Wipha, the sixth typhoon of 2025, brought heavy showers, sea swells and winds of up to 175kmh as it skirted the southern edge of Hong Kong on July 20.

Hong Kong issued a No. 10 hurricane signal—the highest on its warning scale—for the first time since 2023 as Wipha approached.

More than 600 flights were rescheduled in Hong Kong and Macau.