Typhoon Noul forces 715,000 evacuations in southern China

Typhoon Noul slammed into southern China early Sunday local time, triggering the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and causing widespread travel disruption across the region. The storm, which initially packed maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, made landfall along the coast of Huidong county in Huizhou, Guangdong province, at approximately 3:50 a.m., according to China's national weather center. As it moved inland, Noul weakened but continued to unleash heavy rain and strong winds, affecting major urban centers including Hong Kong.

Mass Evacuations and Flight Disruptions

Authorities in Guangdong province relocated more than 715,000 people to safety ahead of Noul's arrival, state-owned China National Radio reported. The mass evacuation, one of the largest this year, aimed to protect residents in low-lying and coastal areas vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Train services across the province were canceled for Sunday, the China News Service confirmed, while Hong Kong's airport website listed over 350 flight cancellations for Saturday and Sunday, with additional delays and cancellations possible as the storm passed.

Weakening Storm Brings Heavy Rain

By Sunday morning, Noul had weakened into a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 68 mph near its center, Hong Kong's Observatory reported. The storm was moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, but it continued to bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the region. China's National Meteorological Center warned that southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces would experience downpours and gusty conditions over the weekend, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides.

Scaffolding Collapse and Regional Impacts

As Noul approached Hong Kong, a large scaffolding structure on a high-rise building collapsed on Saturday afternoon, local police said. Initial reports indicated no injuries, but the incident highlighted the potential dangers from high winds in densely populated urban areas. In Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration reported that Noul was bringing rainfall to parts of southern and eastern Taiwan as it passed over waters south of the island, before moving away on Saturday.

Recent Typhoon Activity in China

Noul is the third typhoon to affect China in July, following Typhoon Bavi, which prompted the evacuation of over 2 million people when it made landfall on July 11, and Typhoon Maysak, which struck southern China on July 3. The frequency of these storms underscores the region's vulnerability during the typhoon season, which typically runs from May to October. As Noul weakens and moves further inland, recovery and assessment efforts are underway, but residents remain on alert for lingering heavy rain and potential flooding in the days ahead.