Typhoon Noul is impacting southern China, including Hong Kong, with strong winds and heavy rain over the weekend. This has led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in Guangdong province and prompted high alert statuses in the region. Numerous flights have been canceled as the storm approaches.
The Hong Kong Observatory reported that Noul intensified with maximum sustained winds reaching 90 mph near its center. It moved on Saturday across the South China Sea, heading closer to the Guangdong coast. The observatory forecasts suggest Noul could make landfall on Sunday morning near the southern Chinese cities of Huizhou and Shanwei, then proceed inland, bringing strong winds and heavy showers to affected areas.
China’s weather services predict that parts of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces will experience significant rainfall and strong winds during the weekend. Guangdong province authorities reported that over 340,000 people had been evacuated by Saturday afternoon, as covered by state broadcaster CCTV. Moreover, train services in Guangdong have been canceled for Sunday, according to the China News Service.
Hong Kong’s airport website indicated over 150 flights were canceled for Saturday and Sunday, with more potentially facing cancellations. On Saturday evening, Mainland Chinese authorities issued a red typhoon alert, the highest tier. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s storm warning system raised its storm signal to No. 8, the third-highest level.
As the storm neared Hong Kong, reports emerged of parts of a large scaffolding collapsing on a high-rise building Saturday afternoon, though local police indicated there were no injuries. Noul also affected Taiwan, with the Central Weather Administration reporting rainfall in southern and eastern areas of the island. The storm passed over waters south of Taiwan and was moving away by Saturday.
Earlier in the month, Typhoon Bavi brought strong winds and rain to eastern China, causing the evacuation of more than 2 million people when it made landfall on July 11. Another typhoon, Maysak, reached southern China on July 3.