Typhoon "Wutip" Weakens After Landfall, Evacuations and Preparations Intensify in Southern China

On June 13, 2025, strong winds and large waves were reported at the Dadonghai sea area in Sanya, located in South China's Hainan Province. Typhoon "Wutip" made landfall in Leizhou, Guangdong Province, around noon on Saturday and began to rapidly lose strength. The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center adjusted the wave and storm surge alerts to lower levels by 4 pm that day, reflecting the storm's diminishing intensity.

Initially classified as a typhoon when it formed, "Wutip" was anticipated to move northeast at speeds of 20 to 25 kilometers per hour from Hainan Province, with expectations of a second landfall occurring around midday in the regions between Leizhou and Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The storm, which maintained its status as a severe tropical storm after making landfall, was projected to weaken further.

According to updates from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), there were significant rainfall amounts recorded in Guangdong, averaging 21.8 millimeters over the past day. Reports indicated that as of Saturday morning, around 28,661 residents had been evacuated within the province as a precautionary measure. The storm had escalated to typhoon status late Friday evening and weakened to severe tropical storm status by the time it made landfall.

The CMA warned of severe weather conditions persisting throughout the weekend, predicting heavy to torrential rainfall across parts of South China, especially in eastern and central regions, with some locations likely to receive over 300 millimeters of rain. In response, Guangdong upgraded its emergency response from Level III to Level II on Friday night, ensuring robust measures were in place for wind and water management.

Preparatory efforts in the affected areas included mandating offshore fishing vessels to return to port, evacuating personnel from maritime sites, and closing tourist attractions along the coastline. The meteorological agency cautioned that the South China Sea and the Beibu Gulf would encounter rough conditions, advising vessels to take preventive measures and coastal facilities to reinforce their structures against potential storm surges and tidal flooding.