Photo credit: WE News English
Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday, bringing winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend.
The Independent reports that it prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in Guangdong province, with the region on high alert and dozens of flights cancelled.
China’s national weather centre said Noul made landfall along the coast of Huidong county of the city of Huizhou in southern Guangdong province at approximately 3.50 am local time on Sunday.
Hong Kong’s Observatory said Noul, with maximum sustained winds of 145kmh near its centre, was moving Sunday into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the region.
More than 340,000 people had been relocated for safety by Saturday afternoon in Guangdong province, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Train services in the province were cancelled for Sunday, according to the China News Service. China’s Meteorological Centre expected parts of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces to experience heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend.
Hong Kong airport’s website showed more than 150 flights were cancelled for Saturday and Sunday.
As Noul approached Hong Kong, parts of a large scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed Saturday afternoon, local police said, adding that initial reports indicated there were no injuries.
