Super Typhoon Yagi hits China, heads toward Vietnam

Super Typhoon Yagi, with winds exceeding 230 km/h, made landfall Friday on the tropical resort island of Hainan in southern China, where nearly 420,000 people have been evacuated.

Yagi could be the strongest storm to hit the region in a decade. It is expected to hit neighboring Vietnam on Saturday, where tens of thousands of people have been relocated as a precaution.

Yagi killed at least 13 people in the Philippines this week, while it was still classified as a tropical storm. It caused flooding and landslides on the main island of Luzon before strengthening into a super typhoon in recent days.

Yagi “made landfall” on Hainan Island near Wenchang in the northeastern part of the island province at around 4:20 p.m. (0820 GMT), the official Xinhua news agency said.

The typhoon, packed with heavy rains and 234 km/h winds, could wreak havoc on the island, which is a popular tourist destination known for its sandy beaches and luxury hotels.

As a precautionary measure, Hainan authorities had already evacuated 419,367 residents, closed tourist sites and imposed restrictions on motorists, according to Xinhua.

“Yagi is likely to be the most powerful typhoon to hit China's southern coast since 2014, making flood prevention work very difficult,” Xinhua wrote after a meeting of flood control officials.

– Rains in Hong Kong –

Super typhoon Yagi © AFP – Nicholas SHEARMAN

The super typhoon passed less than 400 kilometers from Hong Kong during the night from Thursday to Friday, bringing heavy rainfall.

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The Hong Kong stock market was suspended on Friday, schools were closed and public transport was restricted.

Authorities said three people were injured but damage was limited. Heavy rains hit the city on Friday.

Southern China is frequently hit by typhoons in summer and autumn that form in warm oceans east of the Philippines and Thailand.

Typhoons in the region are forming closer to shore than before, intensifying more quickly and staying over land longer because of climate change, according to a study published in July.

– Vietnam on alert –

After southern China, Yagi is expected to continue its path towards Vietnam, where it is expected to hit the northern and north-central regions around the famous Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to be evacuated to safer areas in Hai Phong and Thai Binh provinces on Friday, local authorities said.

“This will be the most powerful typhoon (to hit northern Vietnam) in 20 years,” Pham Duc Luan, head of the authority in charge of managing the dikes, said on Thursday.

More than 457,000 troops have been mobilized by the Ministry of Defense.

Authorities have also ordered some 50,000 fishing boats to take shelter.

They announced plans to close four airports in the north of the country for several hours on Saturday, including Noi Bai International Airport in the capital Hanoi.

All coastal cities and provinces have imposed navigation bans starting Friday.

Pham Quang Quyen, a resident of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, told AFP from Tuan Chau island that he had never experienced such a typhoon warning in nearly 20 years.

“I think that we will survive this typhoon because we have prepared very well. We are all used to dealing with storms and heavy rains here,” he said.

Authorities have sent messages to millions of users of Zalo, Vietnam's most popular mobile app, urging them to be vigilant.

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