Old storm cloud clip falsely shared as Typhoon Bavi footage
- Published on July 20, 2026 at 08:21
- 3 min read
- By Livia LIU, AFP Hong Kong
Typhoon Bavi hit eastern China in July 2026, prompting the evacuation of nearly two million people in its path, but a video circulating online does not show the powerful storm. The Douyin user who filmed the video told AFP it shows a thunderstorm that hit Zhangbei county in the northern Hebei province -- over 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from where Bavi made landfall.
"Today, I am mainly waiting for Typhoon Bavi to arrive. I bought vegetables, fruits, staple food, drinks and snacks, and now the wind outside the window is already very loud. Then I saw this video, and it feels very intimidating," reads a Weibo post in simplified Chinese on July 11.
The post -- shared by a Weibo account registered in Shanghai with over 433,000 followers -- includes a 38‑second clip showing massive black storm clouds looming over a grassland, with some people standing next to cars, holding their phones to record the scene.
"This feels so intimidating, very terrifying," a voice says in Mandarin.
Social media users have shared the clip, with similar claims, in Chinese across Weibo, X and Douyin. One Weibo post using the hashtag "Super Typhoon Bavi Approaches Zhejiang" has been viewed more than 573,000 times.
Another Weibo post reads: "So shocking, it looks like a giant cat's paw. Humans are truly insignificant in the face of nature's power." Similar claims have also spread on X in English.
It circulated as Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Yuhuan city, eastern China's Zhejiang province, on July 11 (archived link).
National broadcaster CCTV reported that Bavi brought fierce winds and heavy rain to the city, with rapid runoff forming on the ground and roadside trees uprooted as the storm struck.
Authorities had evacuated nearly two million people in its path, and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
But the clip actually shows a storm that hit another city in northeastern China over 1,500 kilometres from where Bavi made landfall.
Reverse image and keyword searches found a Douyin user registered in Hebei posted the clip on July 4 (archived link). According to the comment section, the clouds were spotted at a grassland in Zhangbei county in Zhangjiakou city.
The Douyin user told AFP that she filmed the video and that it is not AI-generated. She also posted other clips showing the scene from different angles (archived here, here and here).
"Around 5 pm, one second the sky was clear and blue, the next it was overcast with dark clouds. Then it rained, with hail, and then a beautiful sunset appeared," she told AFP.
On the same day, the local meteorological observatory issued a yellow warning signal for thunderstorms at around 4pm local time (0800 GMT) (archived link).
"Thunderstorms are expected in all towns and villages in Zhangbei county from this afternoon to night, which may be accompanied by short‑term heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, gales, hail and other convective weather. Please take precautions," reads the warning shared by a Weibo account that regularly publishes weather forecasts and warnings for the Zhangjiakou area.
AFP reviewed the weather map for Zhangbei county at around 5 pm on July 4, which confirmed the presence of storm clouds at that time (archived link).
AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to the recent extreme weather in China.
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