As one of the strongest storms to hit Asia this year and heading for ashore along Hainan’s tropical beach, strong winds and heavy rainfall from Super Typhoon Yagi drained southwestern China on Friday ( Sep 6), forcing schools to close for a second time and cancelling flights.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 245kmh near its attention, Yagi files as the country’s second-most strong tropical storm in 2024 so much, after the Category 5 Atlantic storms Beryl.
Yagi is expected to make land along China’s beach from Wenchang in Hainan to Leizhou, Guangdong on Friday evening, more than double its durability since it earlier this year destroyed the northern Philippines.
Immediately and on Friday night, the area experienced strong thunder and lightning and wind throughout the region.
On Friday, some flights in Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao were canceled, with the majority of southern China’s transportation links being closed. The country’s longest ocean crossing, the major bridge linking Hong Kong with Macao and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was likewise closed.
The stock exchange was shut down while universities remained shut in Hong Kong’s financial hub.
The storms 8 signal, the next highest, would be in place until at least 12pm on Friday, Hong Kong’s observatory said, meaning some businesses may be opened and transport will be drastically reduced.
Residents are being advised to stay away from the shoreline by the statement,” Intense rainbands associated with Yagi will bring heavy squally showers to the territory”.
According to the official news agency Xinhua, China’s government sent task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to provide advice on preventing floods and typhoons.
Super Typhoon Yagi’s projected landfall in Hainan is uncommon, as the majority of typhoons landing on the duty-free island are categorized as weak. From 1949 to 2023, 106 typhoons landed in Hainan but only nine were classified as super typhoons.
Typhoons are becoming stronger, fuelled by warmer oceans, amid climate change, scientists say. Typhoon Shanshan slammed into southwest Japan last week, making it the strongest storm to hit the nation in decades.
Yagi, which strengthened into a super typhoon on Wednesday night, is the Japanese word for goat and for the constellation of Capricornus, a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish.