Storm Yagi has intensified into a super typhoon as it churns towards China, making it possibly the strongest storm to hit the country in nearly a decade.
Schools were shut and flights cancelled with the super typhoon bringing high winds and rain to the Chinese coast, having already left a trail of devastation in the Philippines.
Its epicentre was located 400km southeast of Zhanjiang City in Guangdong province on Thursday evening, moving westward at 10-15kmph.
The storm will have the biggest impact on Guangdong and Hainan, with landfall expected between Qionghai and Dianbai on Friday.
The severe tropical storm intensified into a super typhoon on Thursday morning with wind gusts exceeding 160mph, making it a Category 5 equivalent typhoon by various classifications, and a “violent typhoon” according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) – its highest storm classification.
The storm has already claimed at least 14 lives in the Philippines, causing heavy rainfall and landslides before moving towards the west.
The impending arrival of Yagi has triggered alerts in southern China, where heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough seas are anticipated.
Authorities have suspended trains and boats in Hainan, closed schools across southern China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, and are considering raising Hong Kong’s third-highest typhoon alert.
Hainan’s Haikou airport will halt all flights from Thursday evening to Friday midnight, and beaches and tourist sites have been shut down.
Major cities like Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangzhou are bracing for possible flooding and disruptions.
Hong Kong authorities prepared to issue a No 8 typhoon signal, the third-highest alert level. The signal will be issued at 6.20pm local time (10.20am GMT) on Thursday, SCMP reports.
The storm, strengthening as it approaches, is expected to pass 300km (186 miles) southwest of Hong Kong between Thursday night and Friday morning.
“Yagi is a mature storm. Under the influence of its outer circulation, local winds generally strengthened this morning with occasional gale winds on high ground,” the Hong Kong Observatory, the city’s weather authority, said.
Kindergartens and special schools were closed as a No 3 signal remained in effect earlier in the day. As the typhoon nears, winds will further strengthen, and conditions in the city will worsen, especially near the Pearl River Estuary.
Yagi will also bring heavy rainfall and wind gusts to northern Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand as it moves westward.
In the Philippines, where the storm is locally known as Enteng, the damage has been severe. Landslides, floods, and strong winds have caused widespread destruction, particularly in the northern regions.
In the tourist city of Antipolo a landslide killed three people, including a pregnant woman, while floodwaters claimed the lives of four others. The storm has also caused extensive disruption to transportation, with flights cancelled and sea travel suspended, leaving thousands stranded.
Even as the storm passed through into the sea, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) continued to issue warnings on Tuesday, predicting more heavy rainfall and possible landslides in the northern and central regions in the coming days. The capital, Manila, remains on high alert, with schools suspended and government offices closed.
