Typhoon Noul Threatens Southern China with Heavy Rain and Wind

HONG KONG (AP) – Typhoon Noul is set to bring intense rain and winds to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend. The region remains on high alert as thousands of people in Guangdong province are evacuated, and dozens of flights are canceled. The Hong Kong Observatory reported that Noul, with maximum sustained winds of 145 kilometers per hour (90 mph) near its vortex on Saturday, was steadily advancing across the South China Sea, approaching Guangdong’s coast.

The city’s observatory expects Noul to make landfall on Sunday morning near the cities of Huizhou and Shanwei in southern China before moving further inland. This movement could bring showers and gusts to parts of the region. Meanwhile, China’s meteorological center forecasts landfall for Noul on Sunday morning. Hong Kong airport’s website indicated that over 150 flights were canceled across Saturday and Sunday, with potential for more disruptions.

As Noul approached Hong Kong, sections of scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed on Saturday afternoon, according to local police, who reported no initial injuries. Mainland China authorities issued a red alert for the typhoon, the highest warning level, while Hong Kong’s observatory raised storm signal number 8, the city’s third-highest alert level.

The National Meteorological Center of China predicts that parts of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian will experience heavy rain and strong winds throughout the weekend. By Saturday afternoon, more than 340,000 people had been evacuated in southern Guangdong province, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. Train services in the province were canceled on Sunday, according to China News Service.

The Central Weather Administration of Taiwan noted that Noul would result in rainfall in parts of southern and eastern Taiwan. The storm was passing through waters south of Taiwan and moving away from the island on Saturday. Earlier this month, Typhoon Bavi brought strong winds and rain to eastern China, forcing the evacuation of over two million people. Bavi made landfall on July 11. Another typhoon, Maysak, hit southern China on July 3.

This story was translated from English by an AP editor with assistance from a generative AI tool.