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Huang Zhen, 34, shut his cafe for a day last week to be buffeted by surging waters and powerful winds that knocked him off his feet — training for extreme weather events that are increasingly afflicting China.Huang was one of a dozen people attending a session at the Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Center in Hangzhou, eastern China. For 1,599 yuan ($235) per day, it offers a realistic experience of what it is like to be caught up in a typhoon or a flash flood, albeit with the advantage of wearing a wetsuit, a helmet and having a safety instructor to guide you.The centre says it the first of its kind in the world to provide typhoon training, with its simulated experience generating wind speeds of up to 165kph (103mph) alongside torrential rain.In a separate section, 900 metric tonnes of surging water are unleashed to mimic mountain flooding, while in another, participants must wade — sometimes thigh-deep, sometimes shoulder-deep — through 400 tonnes of water in a mock urban environment."Over the last two years, the weather has become increasingly unpredictable," Huang said. "An opportunity like this ... gives us a better idea of what different levels of disasters might actually be like, and helps raise our awareness of disaster preparedness."Climate change is increasingly exposing the world's second-largest economy to destructive weather events, scientists say. This year is of particular concern due to the emergence of the El Nino weather pattern, which can drive up temperatures and fuel more intense typhoons. China's National Climate Center has said it expects up to six typhoons to form in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea in July, more than the average of 3.8.One of those was Typhoon Bavi, which brought severe floods and forced millions of Chinese to evacuate."Typhoon Bavi hit just a couple of days ago, making people realise that typhoon hazards are far more of a threat than we thought," said Wu Zijian, a 44-year-old freelance worker who travelled from nearby Shanghai to attend.More than 160,000 people have attended sessions at the centre since it opened in May 2025. Wang Kuanghan, the centre's chief instructor, said there are plans to open five more centres in China within the next three years. These will include simulations of other natural disasters such as fires and earthquakes.For those who can't make it there yet, Wang has a tip."If you ask me, the most important survival skill during a typhoon is simply not to go outside," he said. "Stay indoors and keep yourself safe at home." 

China's national weather observatory on Saturday issued a red alert for rainstorms, the highest level in its four-tier warning system, as Typhoon Bavi is expected to make landfall along the country's eastern coast early Sunday.The National Meteorological Center (NMC) warned that heavy to extremely heavy rainfall could affect several regions, forecasting cumulative precipitation of 250 to 500 millimeters in parts of eastern and southern Zhejiang Province and northern Fujian Province.It added that central and northern parts of Taiwan could receive 250 to 800 millimeters of rainfall as the storm moves across the region.Chinese authorities have stepped up emergency preparedness measures ahead of the typhoon, including large-scale evacuations, transport disruptions and the deployment of emergency response teams across the eastern coastal provinces.Earlier, the China Climate Center forecast above-average tropical cyclone activity in July, with several storms expected to make landfall or affect China's coastal regions during the month.

China evacuated more than 1.8 million ​people on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi ‌churned toward thethe major eastern city of Wenzhou after pummelling Japan's southern Sakishima island chain ‌with heavy rain and violent ⁠winds and brushing past ‌northern Taiwan.Even as Bavi continues to slow and ‌weaken on its northwesterly path over cooler seas, the typhoon is still a potent risk due to the sheer ⁠volume of moisture it holds within its rain bands, about the size of France from end to end.Bavi had maximum sustained winds of 144 km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale, and was about 200 km (124 miles)southeast of Wenling in the eastern province of Zhejiang as of 0808 GMT, according to the National Meteorological Center.Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to some 10 million people, early on Sunday.State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across ​Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located, and more than 100,000 in neighbouring Fujian province."I'm a little worried, but I think it'll be OK. We've been through typhoons before. We'll get through it," said Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan, 50, who was out ‌buying groceries at a traditional wet market before ⁠it closed ahead of ​the typhoon.Huang said his family had stocked about two to three days' worth of water. "I ​think supplies are well guaranteed now. There's no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies," he added.While Japan and Taiwan have not so far reported any deaths from the typhoon, 17 people died in the Philippines due to heavy rains brought by an enhanced southwest monsoon, worsened by Bavi's impact.Taiwan's fire department said 87 people had been injured, mostly falls from motorcycles or bicycles, as well as people falling over or being struck by objects.TAIWAN SPARED WORST OF BAVIIn Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people from mainly mountainous areas as the island shut down for the approach of Bavi to the north.While Bavi did not make landfall in Taiwan, the government took precautions to prevent loss ‌of life, given forecasts for almost 1 metre (3 ‌feet) of rain in some areas.Most ⁠of those evacuated were in areas in the north and east, with 920 international flights cancelled, effectively closing Taiwan's main ⁠international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital Taipei, ⁠as well as all 282 domestic flights.Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing any offices and schools that may have been open on the weekend, though in Taipei some restaurants and convenience stores remained open.The main north-south high-speed rail line also continued to operate, but with reduced service.In downtown Taipei some people were still out on the street in blustery wind and rain."It's OK, it's not that serious," said ​Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, out for a morning walk with his dog. "It's just a little bit more wind."But in Taipei's Beitou neighbourhood in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the city, gusts of around 100 kph knocked down trees and swelled rivers.In Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, in her 60s, walked through steady rain on her way to her parents' home to help them prepare for the typhoon but said she was not too concerned given the government's preparations."I was worried about the flowerpots on my mother's balcony, so I'm going to help move them inside. My parents are both elderly and they're home alone, so I wasn't at ease," she said. 

China's Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control and typhoon prevention in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, with the possibility of upgrading the emergency response in accordance with the development of the typhoon.According to meteorological forecasts, the center of Super Typhoon Bavi was located over waters about 1,490 kilometers south-east of Keelung, Taiwan, on Wednesday.The typhoon is forecast to move westward before turning northwestward at a speed of around 15 to 20 km per hour, and may make landfall along the coast between Fuqing in Fujian Province and Wenling in Zhejiang Province on Saturday, as a strong typhoon.China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. 

People in Guam and the Northern Marianas readied themselves Saturday as the second "super typhoon" since April drew closer to the US territories, bringing the equivalent of category-5 hurricane winds.Bavi was moving westward with sustained winds of 269 kilometres per hour (167 miles per hour) and gusts of 324kph (201mph), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said in an update at 7:00pm local time (0900 GMT).The eye of the storm was expected to pass Monday very close to the small island of Rota between Guam and Saipan, the main island of the Northern Marianas, with winds set to strengthen to 278kph, the JTWC forecast."My girls were saying to me it's scary. But it will be okay. My house is concrete so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in," local Arabella Paulino, 48, told AFP on a Guam beach as the sky darkened and rain fell intermittently."Typhoon Sinkalu in April wasn't as bad as Mawar in 2023. That brought my whole house down," said her friend Derma Soaladaob, 51. "I stay up north, but I'm going to a hotel. I have a concrete house but with the noise and the wind, it's scary."Guam was set to go into "Condition of Readiness 2" — meaning a typhoon was expected in 24 hours — from 10:00pm, with emergency shelters due to open Sunday from 7:00am, the governor's office said.Residents were told to bring to the shelters "enough food and water to last seven days for each family member" as well as medicines, bedding and personal hygiene products. Pets were not allowed.Any plans for celebrating the United States's 250th anniversary on Saturday — also Liberation Day for Saipan — have been quickly overtaken by storm preparations, with both Guam and the Northern Marianas declaring a state of emergency.Many of the islands' roughly 200,000 inhabitants have queued at petrol stations in recent days and thronged hardware stores to buy plywood to board up their windows while also stocking up on food, water and other essentials.Jeff Garcia, 48, who lives in Kagman Village in the Northern Marianas, told AFP that safety was the top priority, adding that they had "weathered super typhoons before.""We bought basic needs like water, candles, batteries, and canned goods... As a community, our greatest defence is our unity, our preparation and our discipline," he said.Still recoveringThe Northern Marianas archipelago is home to around 40,000 people, and nearby Guam — a separate US territory — around 170,000. Major battles were fought in the area in World War II.Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of people, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings.A cargo ship, the MV Mariana, suffered engine failure and overturned in the storm. The body of one crew member was recovered and five others were missing, presumed dead.The American Red Cross warned that some locals were still in temporary shelters or under makeshift roofs, even as it deployed disaster teams and supplies ahead of Bavi's arrival.Em Marilla, 42, who lives in As Lito village on Saipan, told AFP the thought of "going through it all again without electricity and water is really sad.""Furthermore, the application process for assistance takes far too long, and having to keep spending out of pocket for our daily needs is truly draining," she said.Lherie Galvan, 50, an accountant in San Antonio village, said: "I'm tired of preparing, planning and fixing our roof.""It's another anxiety to recover from. We need more psychiatrists on the island and financial assistance."Children already have trauma but at a young age they know how to prepare — pack their things for emergencies."Warming oceans The world's oceans experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead, the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday.Warmer oceans help tropical storms to intensify and add more moisture, which can fall as heavy rain.The World Meteorological Organisation warned on Friday that El Nino, which typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months, has already begun in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong.The natural climate phenomenon warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns. 

Athletes at the Asian Games in Japan will have "a unique experience" staying on a cruise ship and in wooden containers, an organising official told AFP six months out from the event, but acknowledged there were concerns about the plan.About half of the expected 15,000 athletes and officials will live in the eye-catching temporary accommodation during the Games, which are in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area from September 19 to October 4 - coinciding with typhoon season in Japan.The rest will stay in hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming, diving and equestrian events are taking place.Organisers say using the cruise ship and container units are cheaper than building a traditional athletes' village, although they admit the unusual approach has raised eyebrows.Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organising committee, told AFP that the accommodation would offer "an experience that's difficult to come by"."If people were going to live there long-term, that would be a different story," he said."But in this case it's a very limited period and athletes will spend much of their time training and then come back simply to rest."I would like them to go back home having had a unique experience," he added.Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes and officials will stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which will be docked at Nagoya Port during the Games.The vessel, which features 571 cabins, seven swimming pools, eight restaurants and nine bars, is being chartered at a cost of about 4.5b yen ($28mn), said Yagi.According to the official website, the ship has "an elegant, surprising, ironic and magnetic soul".It is a sister ship of the Costa Concordia, which sank off Tuscany in 2012, killing 32 people.A further 2,000 athletes and officials will stay in wooden shipping container-style huts in Nagoya's Garden Pier area.Some of the units, which Yagi says are "essentially brand new", have already been installed."I've heard some say the space is a bit tight, but from what I saw, they provide an adequately liveable environment," he said.Yagi says athletes will be assigned to a particular type of accommodation based on their sport, not by country.Power of sportHe also says organisers will be ready to deal with Japan's typhoon season."We don't expect extremely large waves but we must be prepared for emergencies," he said."Forecast accuracy has improved and we can generally see a typhoon's path about a week in advance now."Yagi says preparations for the Games are on course, with the main athletics venue set to open next month.He says there has been a "marked improvement" in public awareness in Japan of the event, and tickets started to go on sale for local residents last month.Organisers hope to emulate the success of the world athletics championships, which were held in Tokyo last year in front of mostly sold-out crowds."It was incredible, I was there when (pole vaulter Armand) Duplantis set the world record," said Yagi."It was close to 11:00 pm but no one was leaving, everyone was clapping along."The collective gasp when he broke the record was awe-inspiring, it really made me realise again how wonderful sport is."Japanese organisers are keeping a close eye on the situation in the Middle East, and say that at present the war there is not likely to have an impact on the Games.Yagi says there are no special plans for the Iran team, or North Korea, which is reportedly preparing to send a delegation of more than 260 athletes and officials.With just months to go, he says preparations are going "according to plan"."We are working to further reinforce coordination with the relevant organisations so that we can welcome the Games with everything in perfect order," he said. 

Rescue work was suspended and preemptive evacuations began Saturday as Typhoon Fung-wong bore down on the Philippines, days after another storm killed at least 204 people. Fung-wong, expected to be a "super typhoon" before making landfall, bears a huge footprint, with a radius that could cover "almost the entire country," a government meteorologist said. "Apart from the strong winds, we can also expect heavy rains ... 200 mm (eight inches) or higher rainfall, which can cause widespread flooding, not just in low-lying areas," meteorologist Benison Estareja told a press briefing Saturday. "It's also possible that our major river basins will overflow." As of 11am, the typhoon was moving westward toward the Philippines' main island of Luzon, with wind speeds of 140km per hour and gusts of 170kph. In coastal Aurora province, where Fung-wong is expected to make landfall by late Sunday or early Monday morning, rescuers were going door to door encouraging residents to head for higher ground. "We are preemptively evacuating people in areas that may be high-risk for flooding," provincial rescuer Elson Egargue told AFP by phone. **media[378990]** Farther south, on Catanduanes, a small island the state weather service said could take a "direct hit", residents were tying down their houses and putting weights on their roofs. "They decided to do our tradition of strapping down the roofs with big ropes and anchoring them on the ground, so they won't be blown away by the wind," provincial rescue official Roberto Monterola told AFP. Earlier this week, Typhoon Kalmaegi sent floodwaters rushing through the towns and cities of Cebu province, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and massive shipping containers. The typhoon, the deadliest of 2025 according to disaster database EM-DAT, killed at least 204 people and left 109 missing, according to the latest government figures. At least five more people were killed as it churned across Vietnam on Friday. On Saturday, rescue official Myrra Daven told AFP the approaching storm had forced the suspension of search and rescue activities in the province, home to nearly 70% of Kalmaegi's deaths. "We were ordered to temporarily stop the search, rescue and retrieval at 3pm today," she said. **media[378991]** "We cannot risk the safety of our rescuers. We don't want them to be the next casualties." The government tally of 57 missing in the hard-hit province, meanwhile, would likely rise, Daven said. "We're expecting this number to increase, because there are still areas we cannot penetrate. Some access routes are still blocked by soil and other things," she said. Farther north, provincial officials in Typhoon Fung-wong's path are focused on preventing similar loss of life. "We are hoping that there will be no casualties," said Monterola, the Catanduanes rescuer. "The Philippines has faced a lot of disasters already."

Philippine authorities announced that the death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi has risen to 46, including six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed during the powerful storm, which brought torrential rains and flooding to the central Philippines.The Philippine Army said in a statement that the helicopter crashed while on a rescue mission. The bodies of the crew members have been recovered. The crash occurred approximately 270 km from Cebu Island, the most affected area.Although Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, has gradually weakened since making landfall on Tuesday, it continued to batter the country with winds reaching speeds of up to 120 km per hour as it passed through the Visayas islands, heading towards northern Palawan and the South China Sea.Local authorities indicated that tens of thousands of residents in the Visayas region have been evacuated, and rescue operations are ongoing. The typhoon is expected to leave the Philippines late today or early tomorrow Thursday.The Philippines is hit by or approaches approximately 20 typhoons and storms annually, often causing the most damage in the country's poorest areas.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management issued a Level (4) emergency response for disaster relief after Typhoon Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, struck the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan. China's National Commission for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) dispatched working teams to the affected areas to direct rescue and relief operations at the disaster sites, Xinhua News Agency reported. According to local authorities, approximately 347,000 people in Guangdong and Hainan provinces have been evacuated for their safety. China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level 1 representing the most severe response.

Chinese authorities have evacuated about 150,000 people from southern Guangdong Province as Typhoon Matmo intensifies before making landfall. China's National Meteorological Center reported that the typhoon had maximum wind speeds of 151 km per hour (94 mph) on Sunday, and that it is expected to make landfall around midday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that could lead to local flooding and property damage. The meteorological center issued a red typhoon warning, the highest level in its system. Hainan Province, also in the storm's path, has canceled flights and suspended public transportation and businesses starting yesterday in preparation for the storm. Authorities also warned of heavy rainfall, with rainfall expected to reach between 100 and 249 mm in some areas. China experiences a number of tropical cyclones annually during the monsoon season, especially in the southern and coastal regions overlooking the South China Sea.

Typhoon Bualoi causes severe damage in Vietnam, kills 13 people13 people remain missing, 46 others injuredStorm weakens to depression as it moves into LaosTyphoon Bualoi tore through Vietnam's coast on Monday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 46, the government said, while accompanying strong winds and rains damaged homes, snapped power links and flooded roads.Bualoi weakened into a depression heading for Laos after having made landfall early on Monday, and had whipped up waves as much as 8 m high as it moved along the northern central coast, the national weather agency said.**media[362626]**Among the missing are fishermen whose boats were washed away off the province of Quang Tri, while another fishing boat lost contact, the government's disaster management agency said."I stayed awake the whole night, fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds," said Ho Van Quynh of Nghe An province.His neighbours said they spent the night trying to protect their homes after their apartment building lost power.**media[362624]**"I've witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest," said 45-year-old Nguyen Tuan Vinh.The government evacuated more than 28,500 people before the typhoon hit, while hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled by the closure of four airports in central provinces.Strong winds killed nine people and injured seven in the province of Ninh Binh, the Vietnam News Agency said.**media[362627]**One person died in floodwaters in Hue city, and a falling tree killed another in Thanh Hoa province, the disaster management agency said.Bualoi has damaged more than 44,000 homes, inundated nearly 6,000 hectares of rice and other crops, and cut access to several areas, the government said.It mentioned no major damage to industrial properties, though large factories in or near the typhoon's path included some owned by Foxconn, Formosa Plastics, Luxshare and Vinfast.**media[362628]**Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the defence and public security ministries to urgently send troops and policemen to help tackle the storm's aftermath.The cyclone has triggered heavy rains across most of Vietnam since Saturday, prompting authorities to warn of a high risk of severe floods and landslides.Water rose to alarming levels in rivers and reservoirs in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, the government said, with tens of thousands of families also hit by power blackouts.**media[362625]**Rainfall of 500 mm was forecast in several areas over the period from Sunday night through Tuesday, weather authorities said.With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that often form east of the Philippines, where Bualoi killed at least 10 people last week.

One person was killed, and 12 others were missing after Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in northern Vietnam early Monday, damaging houses and disrupting power grids. Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported that the typhoon moved along the country's coast for several hours before making landfall, causing waves up to eight meters high. State media reported that one person died after being caught in floodwaters in Hue City, while 12 fishermen went missing after strong waves sank four fishing boats off Quang Tri Province. Authorities evacuated more than 28,500 people, while hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed, with four airports closed in the central provinces.