With maximum sustained winds of up to 245 km/h near the eye of the storm, Yagi is considered the second strongest tropical cyclone in the world so far in 2024, after Category 5 hurricane Beryl in the Atlantic.
With its strength doubling since sweeping across northern the Philippines earlier this week, Yagi is expected to make landfall on the Chinese coast from Wenchang in Hainan to Leizhou, Guangdong by Friday afternoon.
Earlier, strong winds and rain accompanied by intense thunderstorms had swept across the area on Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Workers preparing to respond to Typhoon Yagi are stacking sandbags at Binhai Port on September 4 in Haikou, Hainan. Photo: Luo Yunfei/China News Service
Transportation routes across southern China were largely shut down on Friday, with numerous flights cancelled in Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The world's longest sea route, the bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was also closed.
In Hong Kong's financial district, the stock exchange was closed while schools remained shut. "The heavy rain bands associated with Yagi will bring heavy showers to the area," the Hong Kong Observatory said, warning people to stay away from the coast.
The Chinese government has dispatched task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to guide flood and storm prevention efforts, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Typhoon Yagi making landfall in Hainan is rare, as most typhoons that hit the island are classified as weak. Between 1949 and 2023, 106 typhoons made landfall in Hainan, but only 9 were classified as super typhoons.
Storms are becoming stronger, fueled by warmer oceans amid climate change. Last week, Typhoon Shanshan struck southwestern Japan, the strongest typhoon to hit the country in decades.
Hoang Anh (based on Xinhua, SCMP, and Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/sieu-bao-yagi-do-bo-vao-trung-quoc-nhieu-canh-bao-duoc-dua-ra-khi-gio-giat-toi-245-km-h-post310823.html
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