HONG KONG: Super Typhoon Yagi slammed into southern China’s Hainan island on Friday (Sep 6), bringing windspeeds of over 230kmh in what is set to be the strongest storm to hit the region in over a decade.
Hainan province evacuated over 400,000 people ahead of the storm’s expected landfall, while tens of thousands prepared to seek shelter in neighbouring Vietnam.
Yagi killed at least 13 people in the Philippines earlier this week when it was still classified as a tropical storm, triggering floods and landslides on the country’s main island of Luzon before strengthening into a super typhoon over the past few days.
The storm made landfall in China on Friday along the coast of Hainan – a popular holiday destination – and neighbouring Guangdong province, at 4.20pm local time, the state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing authorities.
The typhoon “is equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane”, according to NASA Earth Data.
In Hong Kong, a typhoon warning that had been in effect was lowered shortly after noon following heavy rains overnight as Yagi passed within 400km of the city.
Trading at Hong Kong’s stock exchange was suspended on Friday, and day schools were closed.
Authorities said five people were injured in the city due to the weather, but damage was limited.
