Airports in northern Vietnam are shut and inhabitants are being evacuated owing to the imminent arrival of Typhoon Yagi on Saturday afternoon. The typhoon has already claimed two lives and injured around 100 individuals in China’s Hainan province. Yagi, touted as one of the most violent typhoons the region has seen in the past ten years by Vietnamese weather services, boasts wind speeds ranging from 93-103m/h, classifying it as a strong, level 14 typhoon as per the state media.
Anticipated to strike near Quang Ninh, a coastal province and home to the Unesco World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay, already hundreds of cruises have been cancelled according to state media. The government has issued multiple warnings and initiated the evacuation of residents at risk of flooding or landslides. Air travel has been halted with the closure of four airports, including the ones at Hanoi and the port city of Haiphong, home to major factories like EV manufacturer VinFast and Apple suppliers Pegatron.
Hanoi authorities have acted proactively by cutting down trees to minimise the risk of falling, but strong winds and rain have already caused the toppling of several and city billboards. Boat owners didn’t fare any better, with several tethered vessels being swept out to sea as reported by local media outlets.
Yagi slammed the Chinese city of Wenchang in Hainan province on Friday afternoon with wind speeds peaking at about 152m/h near its core. Local authorities reported on Saturday that the typhoon has caused two fatalities and injured no less than 92 people. Approximately 420,000 residents were shifted prior to the typhoon’s landing. An additional half a million people in Guangdong province were moved before Yagi’s second touchdown in the province’s Xuwen County on Friday night.
Temperature readings from Haikou’s meteorological observatory were downgraded from red to orange on Saturday as the typhoon receded from the city.
Before Yagi’s departure from Hong Kong, over 270 individuals were compelled to find asylum in provisional government establishments on Friday. The typhoon was the cause behind the cancellation of over 100 flights within the city. The torrential downpour and gusty winds led to several trees tumbling down, and business dealings on the stock exchange, services offered by banks, and academic institutions had to be suspended.
Prior to striking Hong Kong, Yagi was still categorised as a storm. It traversed through the northeastern parts of the Philippines, before making its way into the South China Sea on Wednesday. The aftermath included a death toll of at least 16 people, a reported 17 individuals unaccounted for, primarily due to landslides and extensive flooding. This led to its impact being felt by more than two million residents across the islands.
In the provinces of the Philippines, the lives of more than 47,600 people were disrupted as they were ousted from their residences. The disruption extended to school schedules and working days. Furthermore, services such as inter-island ferry rides and local flights were also hindered for several days. This included disruptions in Manila, the country’s densely populated capital region. – AP