Typhoon Yagi moved toward southern China on Thursday with heavy rain and strong winds, closing schools and businesses and disrupting travel.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 150 mph on Thursday, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, according to the US Navy. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. It was about 350 miles east of Xuwen County in China’s Guangdong Province. National Meteorological Center said.
The typhoon was forecast to make landfall near Guangdong and Hainan provinces on Friday evening after moving westward over the South China Sea. It is expected to be the strongest typhoon to hit Hainan since 2014, The Center said.
Yagi formed as a tropical cyclone in the Philippine Sea on Sunday. In the Philippines, nearly 10 inches of rain fell this week, killing at least 13 people, displacing thousands and damaging hundreds of homes. Philippine Govt.
This China Meteorological Administration Warned residents of the risk of flooding and storm surges and raised the emergency response to the second-highest level. Guangdong province has issued the highest level of emergency alert.
Some towns in Henan are expected to receive more than four inches of rain in the next 24 hours. Provincial Meteorological Department said on Thursday. The province suspended all trains and boats on Thursday and canceled all scheduled flights at Haikou Milan International Airport from Thursday evening to Friday night.
Haikou, the capital of Hainan Island province, ordered the closure of all non-essential services, businesses, public transport, markets, schools and construction sites on Thursday. Authorities in Zhanjiang, a city in Guangdong, ordered a similar shutdown ahead of the storm’s arrival.
The typhoon was expected to skirt the Chinese territory of Hong Kong on Thursday night and into Friday. This Hong Kong Observatory Residents were urged to stay away from shores, refrain from outdoor activities and evacuate small vessels to shelters.
Hong Kong authorities closed all kindergartens and Many schools on Thursday. Hong Kong ExpressThe budget airline said it has canceled six flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
After Yagi passes through southern China, it is forecast to weaken as it moves toward northern Vietnam, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
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