Typhoon Maysak has caused flooding, thunderstorms and rare typhoons in China.

Heavy rains began to fall on Renhe Village in South China’s Guangxi Province on Sunday.

The villagers are used to it. But the rain did not stop – and the water suddenly rose.

By Monday morning, the water was up to their knees. By dawn, the first floor of their house was completely submerged.

“The flood happened so fast, the water came so fast. When the villagers fled, they didn’t have time to take food together,” Zhuhu, a Renhe woman, told the BBC.

They are among tens of thousands of the Zuo family displaced from their homes in Guangxi after Typhoon Maisak swept through the region at the end of the week, causing rivers to swell and walls to collapse. At least four people died.

The typhoon flooded the city of Nanning and surrounding villages, and residents called for rescue from their rooftops.

It triggered thunderstorms and even tornadoes in central Hubei province – hundreds of kilometers away.

At least 17 people have been killed, hundreds injured and tens of thousands displaced, state media reported.

The devastation caused by the extreme weather has prompted President Xi Jinping to order “all-out” rescue and relief efforts.

Typhoons that cause widespread flooding are common in China during the year, and Maisak is the country’s first in the 2026 season.

State media said it was characterized by “sudden onset and strong, short-lasting winds”.

Another storm, Super Typhoon Bavi, is churning in the Pacific Ocean, forecast to hit China’s east coast later this week.

Nanning officials warned that “very heavy rain” could hamper rescue efforts.