Abstract Floating offshore wind turbines are easily affected by typhoons in the deep sea, which may cause serious damage to their structure. Therefore, it is necessary to study further the dynamic response of wind turbine structures under typhoons. This paper took the 5MW floating offshore wind turbine developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as the research object. Based on the motion theory of platforms in waves, a physical model with a scale ratio of 1:120 was established, and a hydraulic cradle was used to simulate the effect of waves on the turbines. The dynamic response characteristics of offshore wind turbines under typhoons are systematically studied. The research results clarified that the turbine structure is mainly affected by wave loads under typhoons, and its motion response reaches its maximum value under the action of extreme wave loads. The research results of this paper can provide reference value for the design of offshore wind turbine structures under typhoons.