Super Typhoon Saola Threatens Hong Kong and Guangdong: Flights Canceled, Businesses Closed
Hong Kong and Guangdong, a Chinese province, have taken extensive precautions in response to the imminent arrival of Typhoon Saola.
The storm, with wind speeds of approximately 200 kph (125 mph), could make landfall in Guangdong, posing a significant threat. Authorities have issued warnings, evacuated nearly 800,000 people from high-risk areas, and closed schools, businesses, and financial markets.
In Hong Kong, over 300 people were stranded at the airport due to the cancellation of around 460 flights, and the city raised its hurricane warning to the highest level. The weather is expected to worsen rapidly as the typhoon approaches, with the possibility of storm surges reaching up to 10 feet higher than normal tide levels.
China’s weather authorities predict that Saola could hit the coast between the cities of Huidong and Taishan, placing Hong Kong and Macau in its path. Saola is one of three tropical cyclones forming in the northwest Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, with the second, Haikui, heading towards Taiwan and then China’s Fujian province. The third cyclone, Kirogi, remains a tropical storm.
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Shenzhen Braces for Typhoon Saola: Work Halted for 17 Million Residents
In response to the typhoon, Guangdong suspended train services, and thousands of fishing boats returned to port. The city of Shenzhen, with a population of over 17 million, suspended work, business activities, and financial markets and prepared for destructive winds. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge was closed as a safety measure.
The Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong took precautions by halting outdoor operations and transferring vulnerable materials, with emergency staff on duty. In Macau, all casinos temporarily closed, disrupting their recovery after COVID-induced lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Typhoon Saola, although small in size, is characterized by its strong intensity, according to Chinese meteorologists. The impact of typhoons can vary depending on their duration over land, as seen in the case of Tropical Storm Rumbia in 2018, which had a significant impact despite its moderate intensity due to its extended lifespan over mainland China.
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Source: Reuters
