Typhoon Noul triggers mass evacuations as floods swamp Guangdong and leave communities devastated
Typhoon Noul, the strongest storm to hit China this year, forced more than 715,000 people to evacuate as torrential rain and destructive winds inundated parts of Guangdong. Residents described entire villages underwater while floodwaters submerged roads, homes and businesses.
- Typhoon Noul forced more than 715,000 people to evacuate after making landfall in Guangdong.
- Torrential rain flooded towns and villages, leaving homes, roads and vehicles submerged.
- The storm weakened by 28 July, but severe flooding continued across parts of southern China.
GUANGDONG, CHINA: Typhoon Noul, the strongest typhoon to make landfall in China so far this year, swept across southern China's Guangdong Province on 27 July 2026, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain that triggered severe flooding and forced the evacuation of more than 715,000 people.
According to China's National Weather Centre, the typhoon made landfall in Huidong County, Huizhou, at about 3.50am local time. State news agency Xinhua described Noul as the most powerful typhoon to reach China this year, while China National Radio reported that 715,351 residents had been relocated to safety by early Sunday.
Floodwaters engulf towns and villages
Heavy rainfall inundated multiple cities across Guangdong, turning streets into rivers and leaving residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas underwater. Images and videos shared online showed muddy floodwaters swallowing roads, bridges and buildings.
On 27 July, severe flooding struck Zhongxin Town in Lianping County, Heyuan City. Floodwaters submerged streets, bridges and parked vehicles, with some cars almost completely underwater.
Separate footage from Wuhua County in Meizhou showed flooded residential areas after prolonged heavy rain. Another widely circulated video filmed in Lufeng on 26 July captured rapidly rising floodwaters sweeping through streets at night.
Residents recount devastation, raising questions over urban drainage
Residents and social media users described widespread destruction as floodwaters spread across towns and villages after days of intense rainfall.
One widely shared comment read: "My relatives' house has been completely flooded; the entire village is underwater."
Others described the scenes as "terrifying", saying muddy floodwaters appeared to swallow entire communities, leaving only rooftops visible in some locations.
Residents said normally quiet towns including Youxi and Zhongxin had been transformed overnight into flood-hit areas, with roads becoming impassable waterways.
Another commenter wrote that the rainfall felt "less like a storm and more like water being poured from the sky", reflecting the intensity of the downpour.
Some online users questioned whether drainage infrastructure in parts of Guangdong was adequate to cope with extreme rainfall, arguing that overwhelmed drainage systems may have contributed to the widespread urban flooding.
Storm weakens but risks remain
By 28 July, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Typhoon Noul's impact on Guangdong was gradually weakening.
Although weather conditions began to improve, authorities continued monitoring flood risks as swollen rivers and saturated ground raised concerns about further flooding in affected areas.
Series of extreme weather events
Typhoon Noul is the latest in a series of severe weather events to affect China this month.
Earlier in July, Typhoon Bavi prompted the evacuation of more than two million people after making landfall on 11 July. Typhoon Maysak also struck southern China after making landfall on 3 July.
Separately, a flash flood triggered by intense rainfall hit a scenic area in Weiyuan County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, on 26 July. The disaster killed 10 people and injured 23 after floodwaters trapped campers, highlighting the broader impact of extreme weather across the country.
