Typhoon Yagi Bears Down: Millions of Chinese Scramble for Safety
Super Typhoon Yagi: Southern China Prepares for Landfall
Residents in southern Chinese cities have taken precautions to reinforce their homes and trim trees in preparation for the impending super typhoon Yagi.
Typhoon Yagi is expected to make landfall along the Chinese coast from Wenchang in Hainan to Leizhou in Guangdong Province, bringing with it heavy rain, strong winds, and severe thunderstorms. The storm’s impact has already been felt across southern China, with heavy rain and strong winds reported on the night of September 5 and the morning of September 6.
According to Xinhua, some areas in Guangdong and Hainan will experience heavy rain from September 5 to September 8, with daily rainfall expected to be around 500mm or more.
Transport links across southern China have been severely disrupted, with many flights cancelled in Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The main bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong has also been closed.
China’s Meteorological Administration activated the emergency response from level 2 to level 4 for floods in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Yunnan provinces due to Typhoon Yagi.
All childcare facilities, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and vocational secondary schools in Guangdong have been ordered to close.
The Hong Kong Observatory has issued a storm warning level 8, the third highest level, which will remain in place until at least 12 noon on September 6 (local time), resulting in many businesses being forced to close and traffic being severely restricted.
The Chinese government has dispatched special task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to guide flood and typhoon prevention efforts.
Super Typhoon Yagi’s landfall in Hainan is rare, as most typhoons that hit the island are classified as weak. Between 1949 and 2023, 106 typhoons made landfall in Hainan, but only nine were classified as super typhoons.
With maximum sustained winds of 245 km/h near the center of the storm, Yagi is recorded as the second strongest tropical cyclone globally in 2024.