Chinese centre offers simulated typhoon training as extreme weather risks rise

BEIJING: A disaster training centre in eastern China is offering people the chance to experience simulated typhoons and floods as the country faces increasingly severe weather linked to climate change.

The Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Centre in Hangzhou charges 1,599 yuan ($235) a day for a session that places participants in conditions designed to mirror a typhoon or a flash flood. Attendees wear wetsuits and helmets and are guided by safety instructors as they face strong winds and heavy rain.

According to the centre, it is the first facility of its kind in the world to provide typhoon training. Its system can generate winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour, along with intense rainfall. In another section, 900 metric tons of water are released to recreate mountain flooding, while a separate mock urban setting requires participants to move through 400 tons of water, ranging from thigh-deep to shoulder-deep.

Participants cite growing concern over unpredictable weather

Among those attending last week was 34-year-old Huang Zhen, who closed his cafe for a day to take part in the training. He said recent weather patterns had heightened his concern.

Huang said:

Over the last two years, the weather has become increasingly unpredictable. 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.

Another participant, Wu Zijian, a 44-year-old freelance worker from nearby Shanghai, said Typhoon Bavi had sharpened public awareness of the danger posed by such storms.

Wu said:

Typhoon Bavi hit just a couple of days ago, making people realise that typhoon hazards are far more of a threat than we thought.

Climate concerns and expansion plans

Scientists say climate change is leaving China, the world’s second-largest economy, more exposed to destructive weather events. This year has drawn particular attention because of the El Niño weather pattern, which can raise temperatures and contribute to more powerful typhoons.

China’s National Climate Centre has said it expects up to six typhoons to form in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea in July, above the average of 3.8. One of them, Typhoon Bavi, brought severe flooding and forced millions of people in China to evacuate.

The centre says more than 160,000 people have taken part in its sessions since it opened in May 2025. Chief instructor Wang Kuanghan said five more centres are planned across China over the next three years, and that future facilities will also simulate other natural disasters, including fires and earthquakes.

Wang also offered simple advice for real typhoon conditions.

If you ask me, the most important survival skill during a typhoon is simply not to go outside. Stay indoors and keep yourself safe at home.