Which Typhoons Have Had the Most Severe Impact on Shenzhen in History?
TyphoonSays·防御问答 · District of Typhoon · 更新 at 2026-07-24
The Most Devastating Typhoons in Shenzhen's History
Shenzhen, located on the eastern bank of the Pearl River Estuary, is a key area affected by typhoons every summer and autumn. Meteorological records show that several typhoons have caused severe impacts on Shenzhen.
1. The Legendary "Giants" of the 20th Century
Typhoon WANDA (1956), the 12th typhoon of the year, is one of the most representative early examples. It struck the coastal areas of the Pearl River Delta as a super typhoon, bringing gale-force winds, heavy rain, and intense storm surges, resulting in massive losses. It is widely regarded as one of the most severe typhoons to impact the Pearl River Delta in the 20th century.
Typhoon HOPE (1979), the 13th typhoon of the year, also hit the Pearl River Delta as a severe typhoon. It caused serious damage to coastal embankments and left a deep impression of disaster in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and other areas. To this day, it remains a typhoon event frequently mentioned by many older residents. Although these two typhoons occurred in an era with relatively limited meteorological observation capabilities, the severity of their disasters makes them important benchmarks for assessing the impact of subsequent typhoons.
2. The Strongest in Recent Years: Typhoon MANGKHUT (2018)
Typhoon MANGKHUT (2018), the 22nd typhoon of the year, was the most severe typhoon to affect Shenzhen in recent years. According to the Chinese National Standard for Tropical Cyclone Grades (GB/T 19201—2006) issued by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), a super typhoon is defined as having maximum sustained wind speeds near the center at the bottom layer reaching Force 16 or above. MANGKHUT fell into this category and made landfall in Taishan, Guangdong, on September 16.
Although the landfall point was more than 100 kilometers away from Shenzhen, its vast circulation caused a combination of gale-force winds, heavy rain, and storm surges in Shenzhen. This led to urban waterlogging, widespread toppling of trees, and damage to coastal facilities. The Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory issued a Red Warning Signal for Typhoons. MANGKHUT allowed many Shenzhen residents to intuitively feel the destructive power of a super typhoon for the first time and deepened public awareness of typhoon disaster prevention.
3. Typhoons Like SAOLA That Still Require Vigilance
Typhoon SAOLA (2023), the 9th typhoon of the year, was another typhoon that had a significant impact on Shenzhen in recent years. It approached as a severe typhoon
This article is typhoonsay's original copy content, and the local policy standards are based on the local government's latest release.