On Friday, Wenchang, a city on Hainan Island, China, faced the strongest typhoons in a decade. Typhoon Yagi prompted the evacuation of over 400,000 people.
All transport modes, including trains, boats, and flights, were halted, and schools closed in anticipation of the typhoon.
Authorities also closed tourist sites, and since Wednesday, areas like the world’s longest sea-crossing, linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai, have been off-limits.
Meteorologists warn that Yagi could wreak havoc in Hainan and the neighbouring Guangdong province, China’s most densely populated region.
In Thursday’s advisory, the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center described Yagi as a highly destructive super typhoon. A super typhoon is on par with a Category 5 hurricane.
After impacting the Philippines earlier in the week, Yagi intensified before reaching China. The typhoon caused severe floods and landslides in the northern Philippines, resulting in at least 13 deaths and widespread evacuations.
In China, meteorologists predict up to 500mm of rainfall. Although Yagi is expected to weaken when it reaches Vietnam late Saturday, Vietnamese media report that over 460,000 officers will be deployed to handle the aftermath.
The situation underscores concerns that climate change is making typhoons and hurricanes stronger and more frequent. Warmer ocean waters enhance these storms’ energy, increasing wind speeds and more severe weather events.
