• durgesh dubey
• 06 Sep, 2024

China

One of the most formidable storms of the year, Super Typhoon Yagi, is barreling towards southern China and is set to make landfall in the popular tourist island of Hainan later today. For the second consecutive day, the province has suspended trains, boats, and flights, and schools remain closed across the broader southern region as Yagi approaches.

Having intensified significantly after causing severe damage in northern Philippines earlier this week, Yagi now boasts winds reaching up to 240 km/h (150 mph) near its center. Meteorologists warn that Yagi is poised to deliver "catastrophic" damage to Hainan and the neighboring Guangdong province, China's most populous area. The Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center has described Yagi as an "extremely dangerous and powerful" super typhoon, with landfall expected to be "potentially catastrophic."

As a super typhoon, Yagi is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. Authorities in Hainan have ordered the closure of all tourist attractions since Wednesday, citing the threat of "massive and destructive winds." The main bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong, the world's longest sea crossing, has also been closed.

Heavy rainfall and strong gales have already begun affecting the region, with rainfall expected to reach up to 500 mm. Hainan, known for its sandy beaches and clear waters, has faced typhoons before, but only nine of the 106 typhoons to hit since 1949 have been classified as super typhoons. This makes Yagi potentially the strongest typhoon to strike the southern coast of China in a decade.

After hitting Hainan, Yagi is expected to make another landfall in northern Vietnam late Saturday, though in a weakened state. Vietnam's Deputy Agriculture Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep has warned that the storm could impact areas crucial to the region's socio-economic development, emphasizing that "carelessness could result in catastrophic damage."

Earlier this week, Yagi’s floods and landslides resulted in at least 13 fatalities in northern Philippines, displacing thousands. As the storm moves towards southern China, it remains the second-most powerful tropical cyclone of 2024 globally, following the Category 5 Atlantic hurricane Beryl. Yagi’s winds and rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, have prompted extensive precautions, with four northern Vietnamese airports, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai International, closing on Saturday. In Guangdong, banana farmer Qizhao is reinforcing his trees to protect them from the anticipated storm damage.