2023-09-02 04:05:35
Typhoon Saola has made its way into southern China after slamming into Hong Kong and wreaking havoc there. “Saola” landed on Saturday around 3:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. CEST on Friday) south of the Chinese city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province, the Chinese weather agency said. Before reaching Hong Kong, “Saola” had already weakened. Nearly 900,000 people had previously been evacuated from vulnerable Chinese areas.
Before reaching Hong Kong, the storm had already been downgraded from a super typhoon to a strong typhoon. Although it did not hit the SAR directly, it uprooted trees and smashed windows there. There were initially no reports of fatalities. Authorities expected the storm to weaken further as it made its way along the coast.
Authorities had feared Saola could bring devastation similar to that of Super Typhoon Manghkut in 2018, which injured more than 300 people in Hong Kong and killed six in China. The Chinese Weather Service warned that “Saola” could become the strongest typhoon to hit the region since 1949.
According to official reports, 55 people have been treated in hospitals in Hong Kong for injuries related to the typhoon. Authorities also reported around 80 cases of fallen trees and about a dozen cases of flooding. According to the current state of knowledge, however, there were no landslides.
Hong Kong closed all schools and kindergartens on Friday evening. Most flight connections have also been cancelled. Hundreds of flights have also been canceled in China. Shops remained closed as a precaution and traffic was halted.
South China is frequently hit by typhoons in summer and autumn, “Saola” is the ninth typhoon in the region this year. According to scientists, climate change is causing storms to increase in frequency and strength.
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