Typhoon Noul downgraded to a tropical storm status on Sunday after coming ashore along the southern coast of China, bringing powerful winds and drenching rainfall to the region.
Chinese meteorological officials warned that heavy rainfall was expected to hammer portions of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces. According to the official Xinhua News Agency, more than 801,000 residents in Guangdong province had been evacuated to safer locations by Sunday.
In Hong Kong, one of Asia’s major financial centers, airport officials reported that roughly 350 flights were called off on Sunday, leaving approximately 2,000 travelers stranded at the airport throughout the weekend. Hong Kong authorities also confirmed that at least 21 people sustained injuries across the city during the storm.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources raised its flood-control emergency response level — including for Guangdong province — due to elevated risks of mountain flooding, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced it had set aside 100 million yuan, equivalent to roughly $14.8 million, to aid recovery efforts in the typhoon-battered Guangdong province.
Noul marked the third typhoon to make landfall in China within a single month, following storms Bavi and Maysak. Chinese state media described Noul as the most powerful storm to hit the country so far this year.
Before reaching China, the typhoon caused significant damage in the Philippines, where the government’s disaster-response agency reported at least three fatalities and widespread displacement due to flooding and heavy rain. The storm also dumped heavy rainfall on parts of Taiwan as it tracked south of the island without making direct landfall.
