Typhoon Wipha Devastating China: Traffic Paralyzed, Economy Suffers Heavy Damage

(Dan Tri) - Typhoon Wipha made landfall in China, causing serious damage. Traffic in many areas was paralyzed, thousands of flights were canceled, and production activities were halted.

Hong Kong (China) has just suffered heavy economic losses when Typhoon Wipha swept through the city, causing heavy rain and flooding in many areas. Typhoon Wipha caused a series of trees to fall, and scaffolding to collapse at many construction sites.

Hong Kong’s public transport system was almost paralyzed. On July 20, about 400 flights were affected, leaving about 80,000 passengers stranded at Hong Kong airport. Cathay Pacific announced the cancellation of all flights from 5am to 6pm that day, and waived ticket changes and reschedules for passengers.

Ferry services were suspended due to high seas, while the MTR subway system and public buses were also suspended. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, one of the world's longest sea-crossing bridges, was also closed for safety reasons.

Authorities have deployed a number of response measures, including monitoring vessels, inspecting drainage systems and deploying electrical repair vehicles in key areas. Food stockpiling plans have also been activated to ensure supplies.

China was heavily affected by the storm (Photo: China Daily)

According to economists' estimates, Hong Kong's financial losses could reach 2 billion HKD (equivalent to 6,600 billion VND) in just one day.

Professor Terence Chong Tai-leung, director of the Lau Chor Tak Institute of Economics and Finance, said the losses would be even greater if the storm had hit on a weekday. “Sundays are typically less economically active, so the losses, although large, would still be lower than if the storm had hit on a working day,” he said in the report.

Economist Simon Lee Siu-po also gave a similar estimate, saying the total damage fluctuated around 1-2 billion HKD (about 3,300-6,600 billion VND).

Of which, the retail sector may suffer a loss of about 1 billion HKD, the food service industry may lose about 300 million HKD, and the transportation system will also record a revenue decrease of 20 to 63 million HKD/day.

According to China Daily, Typhoon Wipha caused damage in major cities along the Pearl River and the coast of Guangdong province, forcing about 670,000 people to evacuate.

Railway authorities have also suspended inter-city train services. Typhoon Wipha has caused unprecedented disruptions to travel in southern China, according to CGTN.

The violent storm and strong winds paralyzed traffic in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and other major cities in Guangdong Province. Airports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai also saw widespread flight cancellations and delays since the afternoon of July 19.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/bao-wipha-tan-pha-trung-quoc-giao-thong-te-liet-kinh-te-thiet-hai-nang-ne-20250721194444163.htm