Typhoon Narra has decided to make southern China its personal swimming pool, submerging homes and forcing mass evacuations. In Chongzuo, Guangxi - known for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains, now equally known for its impromptu indoor water features - more than 15,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday after water levels surpassed a record set in 2008. Because breaking records is clearly a thing here.

State television reports that Guangxi has relocated a total of 54,000 people, which is a lot of people to tell to pack up and leave because the weather decided to be dramatic. Narra made landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday evening in Hainan province, after lingering over the Beibu Gulf for several days, dumping heavy rain on Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong. Because why not spread the misery.

Heavy rain is expected to persist across parts of Vietnam and southern China through Wednesday, with Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian forecast to receive torrential rain, according to state media. In Chongzuo, river water overflowed into the city, with levels reaching rooftops and power lines. A notice from authorities on Monday ordered all businesses and tourist operations to cease and urged evacuated residents not to return to high-risk areas - because apparently some people need to be told not to go back to a flooded city.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Saudel is heading towards southern Japan and northern Taiwan, promising sporadic heavy rain. Taiwan reported one dead and four missing from a separate weather system over its south and east. Japan’s weather agency warned of destructive winds and high seas as Saudel approaches Okinawa. Saudel is expected to pass north of Taiwan from late Thursday into Friday, though its intensity is forecast to weaken - because we all know how reliable typhoon forecasts are.

In southern and eastern Taiwan, a tropical depression brought flooding to Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to over 4 million people. From Sunday to Tuesday, almost a metre (3.9 feet) of rain fell in Kaohsiung, exceeding rainfall during 2009’s devastating Typhoon Morakot, which killed about 700 people and caused up to $3bn in damage. Saudel is forecast to hit Fujian province from late Thursday to early Friday, because clearly one typhoon wasn't enough.