China: Schools Closed and Flights Canceled Ahead of Super Typhoon Yagi
Schools were temporarily closed, and several flights were canceled in southern China on Thursday due to Tropical Storm Yagi, which has now been upgraded to a super typhoon and is moving toward Hainan Island.
This storm, which swept through the Philippines earlier this week, triggered landslides that resulted in at least 13 fatalities. It is currently progressing across the South China Sea toward Hainan in southern China.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Yagi has intensified over the sea into a super typhoon, with winds reaching speeds of up to 209 km/h. The super typhoon is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon, either in Hainan or the neighboring Guangdong province.
In the meantime, schools and public transport services were temporarily suspended in Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan, around noon (04:00 GMT) on Thursday.
Yagi is forecast to bypass Hong Kong, where the city’s meteorological observatory plans to issue the third-highest alert level (T8) at 18:20 (10:20 GMT) on Thursday.
Hong Kong Express announced the postponement of six flights, while Greater Bay Airlines canceled four and rescheduled two.
“The intensity of Yagi will remain as a super typhoon, passing approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong tomorrow morning,” stated the Hong Kong observatory.
After leaving China, Yagi is projected to head toward Vietnam, threatening northern regions near the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. The Vietnamese meteorological agency issued an alert on Thursday, and over 2,700 military personnel have been mobilized in preparation for Yagi’s approach.
