China evacuates 340,000 people as Typhoon Noul approaches

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China’s flag

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Authorities have evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and rail services as Typhoon Noul approaches southern China, with flight cancellations announced in the financial hub of Hong Kong.

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The typhoon is forecast to make landfall along the coast between Shenzhen and Haifeng in Guangdong province early Sunday, China’s National Meteorological Center said.

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The Chinese weather forecaster issued a red typhoon alert on Saturday night, the highest level in its four-tier system.

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Parts of Guangdong and neighbouring Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces are set to receive heavy rainfall from Saturday night to Sunday night, it said.

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When the typhoon makes landfall, it is forecast to have maximum sustained winds of 151-173 kilometres per hour (94-107 miles per hour).

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More than 340,000 people have been evacuated in Guangdong, Xinhua news agency said.

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Twelve cities across the province including Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shantou have suspended “classes, work, production, business operations, and transportation” either fully or partially, it added.

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All train services in the province will be halted on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV said.

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– High risk of disaster –

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Financial hub Hong Kong issued on Saturday night its third-highest typhoon warning, with local authorities saying it had opened 28 temporary shelters across the city.

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The Hong Kong Observatory said it would consider raising the warning to the second-highest early Sunday.

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“Local winds will strengthen significantly overnight,” it added.

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The city’s airport authority said on Saturday that at least 49 flights were cancelled and 238 delayed, adding that “a large number of flights are expected to be affected tomorrow”.

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Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled all flights scheduled to arrive and depart from Hong Kong International Airport between 1:15 am and 6:00 pm local time Sunday (1715 GMT Saturday and 1000 GMT Sunday).

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“A small number of other flights will be delayed as we set up our flying plan to resume once the typhoon passes,” it said in a statement Saturday.

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Guangdong’s Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport said airlines would adjust flight schedules from Sunday morning to around midday “depending on weather conditions”.

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Typhoon Noul is “characterised by deep inland penetration, a prolonged duration, heavy cumulative rainfall, a path traversing complex terrain, and a high risk of causing disasters”, CCTV said, citing meteorologists.

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Authorities upgraded Guangdong’s emergency response for “flood and typhoon control” to the third level in its four-tier system on Saturday afternoon, Xinhua reported.

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A level-four flood emergency response for Jiangxi and Hunan was also activated, Xinhua added.

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Extreme weather has already wreaked havoc on southern and central China this month, with 39 people killed when Typhoon Maysak triggered devastating floods in Guangxi.

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Maysak also caused thunderstorms and gale-force winds that killed 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei.

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Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of global extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.

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China is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, but it is also a global renewable energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon neutral by 2060.

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