China’s typhoon-hit southeastern coast awaits arrival of second stronger Typhoon Chan-hom
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 09 July, 2015, 4:56pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 09 July, 2015, 7:41pm
Naomi Ng [email protected]
A tree lies shattered in the Guangdong city of Shantou after Typhoon Linfa brought powerful winds to the province on Thursday, with the stronger Typhoon Chan-hom expected to hit land early on Friday. Photo: Xinhua
Residents in China’s typhoon-hit southeastern coast have been warned to brace themselves for a more powerful second typhoon bringing gales and torrential rain over the next few days.
Typhoon Linfa made landfall at 12.15pm local time in Lufeng city, in the southeastern province of Guangdong, China’s National Meteorological Centre said.
Linfa, moving at speeds of between 15km/h and 22km/h, had weakened into a severe tropical storm by 3.45pm on Thursday as it moved west towards the neighbouring cities of Shantou and Shanwei, the Hong Kong Observatory reported.
By 5pm Linfa was centred about 110km northeast of Hong Kong and was forecast to move west at about 22km/h in the general direction of the Pearl River Estuary, the observatory said.
Linfa was expected to come within 100km north of Hong Kong some time between Thursday night and early on Friday morning, it said.
Although the weather would deteriorate and winds would intensify on Thursday evening, the impact of Linfa's gale force winds on Hong Kong would not last long, it added.
Linfa was likely to weaken gradually and move away from Hong Kong on Friday morning, the observatory said.
Torrential rain had flooded several main roads in Shantou, with fallen trees lining empty streets, the local newspaper, Nanfang Daily reported.
The stronger, more powerful Typhoon Chan-hom is following closely behind Linfa, and is expected to strengthen into a super typhoon when it reaches the southeastern province of Fujian and neighbouring Zhejiang province early on Friday morning.
Taiwan is also expected to be affected.
Local transportation between several of China’s coastal cities have been affected by the bad weather. Chinese authorities have suspended passenger trains running along the eastern coast, and would continue to do so on Friday and Saturday, according to state media reports.
Several domestic flights flying in and out of Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Fujian’s Fuzhou Airport, have been cancelled because of the severe weather conditions.
Officials in Guangdong province, which has been battered with strong winds and torrential downpours since Wednesday, have closed primary and secondary schools in 15 counties. They have also recalled 10,400 fishing vessels to port.
Chinese authorities have issued the second highest emergency response level, increasing water patrols and dispatching teams to carry out flood control.
Fujian has evacuated nearly 10,000 people, and suspended ferry services between Fujian and Taiwan.
The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has advised people in the affected areas to stock up on food and daily necessities that will last them for the next two days and to stay indoors.
