CLIMATE – Authorities on the large Chinese island of Hainan (south of the country) have already preventively evacuated more than 419,000 inhabitants as Super Typhoon Yagi approaches, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. The first impact was confirmed a few minutes later.
China is bracing for what could be the strongest storm to hit the country’s southern coast in a decade. “Yagi will likely be the most powerful typhoon to hit China’s southern coast since 2014, making flood prevention work very difficult.”Xinhua wrote after a meeting of flood officials. The Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday raised the emergency response to floods in the two provinces to the third highest level.
Winds of over 240 km/h
With winds of over 240 km/h, the typhoon “equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane”according to NASA ground data. Yagi passed within 400 kilometers of Hong Kong on Thursday night, causing heavy rainfall.
Hong Kong’s stock market was suspended Friday, schools remained closed and public transport was restricted. Authorities said three people were injured but damage was limited. Heavy rain continued to batter the city Friday.
After southern China, Yagi is expected to continue its route towards Vietnam, where it is expected to hit the northern and north-central regions on Saturday, around the famous Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tens of thousands of people will be evacuated to safer areas in Hai Phong and Thai Binh provinces on Friday, local authorities said. “This will be the most powerful typhoon (to hit northern Vietnam) in 20 years”said Pham Duc Luan, head of the dike management authority, on Thursday.
Also see on Le HuffPost :
Japan: Tokyo metro stations turned into swimming pools after flood
Hurricanes Are Getting So Powerful They Need a New Category, Researchers Say
