Chinese weather officials say Typhoon Noul slammed southern China with powerful winds and heavy downpours on Saturday, prompting warnings for residents to stay home and avoid all unnecessary travel as transportation networks face widespread disruption.
Noul, which is the 12th typhoon to form this year, is expected to make landfall somewhere along the coastline between Hong Kong and Lufeng in Guangdong province — China’s southern region — sometime between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
The National Meteorological Centre issued warnings for Guangdong and three neighboring provinces — Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hunan — saying all four areas would feel the storm’s direct impact. Authorities called on residents to take protective measures, stay off the roads, and remain alert to potential disaster risks.
By Friday evening, more than 20,000 people had already been relocated from vulnerable areas throughout Guangdong province ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Rail service in Guangdong began shutting down Saturday, with both high-speed and standard train service expected to come to a complete stop on Sunday. Airport operations in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xiamen could also be impacted starting Saturday.
Airline Cathay Pacific announced it has scrapped flights departing from Hong Kong International Airport between 1:15 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday due to the storm.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, a major regional transportation link, has been closed for both Saturday and Sunday as the typhoon moves through the area.
