Key takeaways:
- Noul made landfall in Huidong county in Huizhou, Guangdong, at about 3:50 a.m. local time Sunday.
- More than 715,000 people were relocated for safety in Guangdong province by early Sunday, according to China National Radio.
- More than 350 flights were canceled in Hong Kong across the weekend, and train services in Guangdong were canceled for Sunday.
Typhoon Noul slammed into southern China early Sunday, driving heavy rain and strong winds across Guangdong province and Hong Kong, forcing more than 715,000 people to relocate and disrupting air and rail travel across the region.
China’s national weather center said the storm made landfall along the coast of Huidong county in Huizhou, in southern Guangdong province, at about 3:50 a.m. local time Sunday, or 19:50 GMT Saturday. The official Xinhua News Agency said Noul was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in China so far this year, Al Jazeera reported.
Hong Kong’s Observatory said Noul had intensified Saturday as it moved across the South China Sea toward Guangdong, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph near its center. By Sunday, the observatory said the storm’s maximum sustained winds had eased to 68 mph as it moved inland over Guangdong and weakened progressively, while still bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the region.
Authorities in Guangdong had placed the region on high alert as the storm approached. More than 715,000 people had been relocated for safety by early Sunday, according to state-owned China National Radio. On Saturday, authorities said about 340,000 people had been evacuated.
Transportation was heavily affected. Train services in Guangdong were canceled for Sunday, according to the China News Service. Hong Kong’s airport website showed more than 350 flights had been canceled for Saturday and Sunday, with additional cancellations possible. Al Jazeera reported that Hong Kong’s airport authority said about 350 flights were canceled on Sunday.
China’s National Meteorological Center forecast heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend for parts of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces. State broadcaster CCTV reported that many trees were uprooted in Huilai county, on Guangdong’s coast.
Hong Kong also felt the storm’s impact. As Noul approached the city, parts of a large scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed Saturday afternoon, local police said. Initial reports indicated there were no injuries from that incident. At least nine people were injured across Hong Kong during the typhoon period, according to Hong Kong authorities, Al Jazeera reported.
The storm also affected nearby Taiwan. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said Noul brought rainfall to parts of southern and eastern Taiwan as it passed over waters south of the island. The agency said the storm was moving away from Taiwan on Saturday.
Noul follows other powerful storms that have struck China this month. Typhoon Bavi brought strong winds and rain to eastern China and led to the evacuation of more than 2 million people before making landfall on July 11. Typhoon Maysak made landfall in southern China on July 3.
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