Strongest Typhoons Churning Towards ‘China’s Hawaii’
One of this year’s most powerful storms is set to slam into the Chinese holiday island of Hainan later on Friday, after its outer bands lashed Hong Kong and parts of southern China.
Packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super Typhoon Yagi is currently the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane — the world’s second-most powerful tropical cyclone of 2024 so far, only eclipsed by the Atlantic hurricane Beryl which was a Category 5.
Scientists have found that hotter oceans caused by the human-caused climate crisis are leading storms to intensify more rapidly. Just two days ago, Yagi was a tropical storm with top winds of 90 kph (60 mph), but it rapidly gathered strength over the warm waters of the South China Sea.
It is expected to make landfall Friday afternoon local time in southern China, near the northern tip of Hainan, before driving inland through Guangdong province, bringing massive rainstorms and coastal flood.
The approaching super typhoon has brought cities across Hainan to a standstill, with schools, businesses, restaurants and beaches closed and public transport, including trains and flights, halted. Some cities in the neighboring provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi also adopted similar measures.
On Chinese social media, Hainan residents shared footage of an intense storm churning across the island on Thursday evening, with streaks of lightning flashing across a purple night sky.
Videos released by local media show high waves crashing on the shore, battering rows of palm trees. Swells as high as 7 meters (about 23 feet) are expected near the coasts of Hainan and Guangdong from Friday afternoon, according to China’s marine forecasting authorities.
Hainan is often dubbed “China’s Hawaii,” boasting sandy beaches, good surf, five-star resorts and duty-free luxury shopping. It is not currently peak travel season, however, and the island generally has a good track record of weathering powerful storms.
But Yagi could be the strongest typhoon to hit Hainan in a decade, according to state media, and its impact on less developed parts of the island, as well as other parts of southern China, could be significant.
Much of southern China was battered by weeks of extreme rainfall earlier this year. Deadly floods and landslides blocked highways, destroyed homes and caused devastating financial losses as they wiped out crops and livestock.
Most Severe Alert
China’s Central Meteorological Agency renewed its red typhoon warning, the most severe alert, on Friday morning for Hainan and Guangdong.
Yagi has already sparked some travel disruption across parts of southern China as authorities enact storm warning systems to mitigate its impact ahead of arrival.
Intercity bus services have been suspended on Hainan since midnight Thursday, according to the provincial government. Train and high-speed rail services have been suspended since 6 p.m. Thursday, while all flights have been cancelled until Friday midnight, it added.
CNN/Shakirat Sadiq
