China’s Wenchang city, located in the northeast of Hainan Island, faced the brunt of the most powerful typhoon in a decade on Friday as Typhoon Yagi made landfall. This catastrophic event prompted the evacuation of over 400,000 people to safe grounds, as reported by BBC.
Authorities took extensive precautionary measures in anticipation of the typhoon’s impact. Transport services, including trains, boats, and flights, were suspended, and schools were closed. Tourist attractions, including the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong, were also shut down since Wednesday.
Meteorologists have warned of Yagi’s potential to cause significant destruction in both Hainan and the neighboring province of Guangdong, China’s most populous province. The Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center described Yagi as an extremely catastrophic and powerful super typhoon, comparable to a Category 5 hurricane, capable of making a disastrous landfall.
Before reaching China, Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc in the Philippines, causing floods and landslides that resulted in at least 13 deaths in the northern regions and forced thousands to evacuate. The typhoon brought double the power to China, with expected rainfall amounts of up to 500mm in the region.
The catastrophic typhoon is projected to weaken slightly as it moves towards Vietnam, where it is expected to make landfall late on Saturday. Vietnamese authorities are preparing for the disaster, with over 460,000 officers ready to manage the situation.
This severe weather event underscores the increasing frequency and intensity of typhoons and hurricanes, a phenomenon linked to climate change. Scientists have pointed out that warmer ocean waters provide more energy for these storms, leading to higher wind speeds and more powerful and frequent typhoons and hurricanes.
In summary, the impact of Typhoon Yagi on China has been profound, with significant evacuations, disruptions, and precautions taken to mitigate its effects. The situation continues to be monitored closely as the storm progresses towards Vietnam.
