As the first typhoon to make landfall in China for the 2026 season, Maysak has caused devastating damage in southern and central regions. The Guangxi region received intense downpours of up to 280mm in 12 hours, causing rivers to swell and dam walls to break. By Monday morning, flooding across the city of Nanning and surrounding areas had resulted in many people being stranded on rooftops.
Flood waters pose additional threats in China because of the presence of wild and farmed snakes. On Thursday local media reported that hundreds of snakes, including cobras, had escaped from flooded breeding farms. Typhoon Maysak also aided the development of two destructive tornados that swept across central China later on Monday evening. This occurred when warm air from the south, brought up by Typhoon Maysak, collided with cold air in the north.
While authorities continue to verify the full extent of the damage, the official state news agency Xinhua has already reported at least 11 dead and 331 injured, as well as more than 4,855 houses damaged. It was the first recorded tornado to occur within the central Hubei region since May 2021.
India has also had heavy rainfall this week, with parts of Mumbai receiving more than 300mm on Sunday and a nearby site at Matheran, just east of Mumbai, recording total rainfall of more than 850mm between Sunday and Wednesday. This four days of rain led to the collapse of buildings within the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, killing at least 13 people. A three-storey chawl collapsed, killing five young children and one woman, according to local authorities. Despite it being within the peak of Mumbai’s monsoon season, 300mm recorded within 24 hours accounts for almost 50% of July’s entire monthly average rainfall.
Meanwhile, a notable winter storm hit the south Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha on Tuesday. Wind speeds of up to 124mph were recorded at the amateur weather station located at the school on the island. Roofs were ripped off several buildings, but no casualties were reported. Wind speeds are often enhanced by the 2,000-metre-tall volcano that forms the island. The volcano creates what is known as downslope winds, which are powerful winds on the leeward side of mountains caused by descending air that compresses and results in powerful gusts.
