Typhoon rips roofs off buildings and floods southern China (VIDEOS)

Typhoon Hongxia, internationally known as Noul, made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong Province early Sunday, triggering mass evacuations, widespread transportation disruptions, and torrential rain across southern China and Hong Kong.

The year’s 12th tropical cyclone – the strongest to hit China this year – came ashore near Pinghai Town in Huidong County, Huizhou City, at around 3:50 AM local time (19:50 GMT Saturday), with maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (100 mph), according to China’s National Meteorological Center. It was the first typhoon to make landfall in Guangdong this year.

More than 715,000 people were evacuated across the province ahead of the storm amid fears of flooding and landslides. The authorities suspended classes, work, production, transportation, and business activities in 12 cities.

The typhoon caused disruptions across the region. More than 190 high-speed rail services in Guangdong were canceled; regular train services were suspended.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge temporarily halted operations, and airports across Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xiamen were heavily affected. More than 1,800 flights across Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong were grounded.

Shenzhen also suspended rail services and partially closed metro lines, ports, and expressways before gradually restoring operations as conditions improved.

Hong Kong’s Observatory initially raised the storm warning to Typhoon Signal No. 9, the second-highest tropical cyclone warning in the city’s system, as Noul passed within 80 km of the city before downgrading the alert later in the day.

At least 21 people were injured, according to local media. Strong winds brought down scaffolding at a high-rise construction site in the Cheung Sha Wan district.

Videos posted online show uprooted trees, roofs ripped from buildings, flooded streets, and gale-force winds hurling debris, dumpsters, and vehicles through roads in Hong Kong and neighboring Shenzhen.

Although Noul weakened rapidly after moving inland, forecasters warned that heavy to torrential rain would continue through Tuesday across southern China.

The highest-level flash flood alert was issued for parts of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces.

Beijing has activated a national emergency response for Guangdong following the typhoon’s landfall. A working team was dispatched to assess the damage, assist the local authorities with evacuations and resettlement, and help ensure displaced residents have access to basic necessities.

Separately, the government allocated 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) for immediate recovery efforts, with the funds earmarked to repair damaged roads, water infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities.

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