A photograph taken when Typhoon Yagi hit southern China in September was edited and shared with a false claim that it showed underwear flying in the wind as another cyclone, Krathon, hit Taiwan in October. The original picture — which did not include the airborne undergarment — was taken on China’s Hainan island.
“Flying underpants in Kaohsiung,” read a Threads post shared on October 3, 2024.
The post was shared after Typhoon Krathon slammed into Taiwan on October 3, bringing mudslides, flooding and destructive winds to the island, killing at least four people and forcing the evacuation of thousands (archived link).
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, but scientists have warned climate change is increasing their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods and strong gusts.
The image was also shared with similar false claims elsewhere on Threads and Facebook, and shown in reports published by Taiwanese media outlets, including SET News, Mirror Media and Up Media.
But the photo was altered, and was taken when another typhoon hit southern China during the previous month.
Altered image
Reverse image and keyword searches found a photo on AFP archives that was published by China’s state-run news agency Xinhua in September 2024 when Typhoon Yagi hit the country (archived link).
Its caption read: “Coconut trees struggle against strong wind on a street in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Sept. 6, 2024.”
The original image published by Xinhua did not show the airborne undergarment seen in the altered picture.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image seen in the false post (left) and the Xinhua photo (right):
A sign on the building seen in the Xinhua picture also identified it as “The Top”, a residential tower located at 22 Guoxing Avenue in Haikou city on Hainan island, according to the developer’s website (archived link).
The building can also be seen on Baidu Map, and in a video uploaded to a YouTube channel in May 2023 that publishes streetscapes in China (archived links here and here).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the Xinhua photo used in the false post (left) and the same location seen on the YouTube channel (right), with the same tower block highlighted by AFP:
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Yagi brought winds of more than 230 kilometres (143 miles) per hour, uprooting trees and prompting the evacuation of around 460,000 people.
At least four people were killed and 95 injured in southern China after the storm hit Hainan and Guangdong provinces, CCTV said on September 7, citing local authorities (archived link).
