Southern China found itself in the grip of Super Typhoon Yagi on Friday, as the powerful storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region. Schools remained closed for a second day, and flights were canceled as the storm, one of the most potent to hit Asia in 2024, made its way towards landfall along Hainan’s tropical coastline.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 245 kilometers per hour (152 miles per hour) near its eye, Yagi ranks as the second-most powerful tropical cyclone worldwide in 2024, trailing only the Category 5 Atlantic hurricane Beryl. Having more than doubled in strength since wreaking havoc on the northern Philippines earlier in the week, Yagi is anticipated to make landfall along the Chinese coast, stretching from Wenchang on Hainan Island to Leizhou in Guangdong province, starting Friday afternoon.
Thunder and lightning roared through the region overnight and into Friday morning, accompanying the strong winds and rain. Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that four airports in the country’s north, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai International, would be closed on Saturday due to the storm’s impact.
Southern China’s transportation network was largely shut down on Friday, with numerous flight cancellations in Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The world’s longest sea crossing, the bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was also closed. The financial hub of Hong Kong saw its stock exchange shut down, while schools remained closed on Friday. Hong Kong’s observatory announced that the typhoon 8 signal, the third highest, would be lowered by 12.40 pm, with winds over the city expected to weaken as Yagi moves away, allowing businesses to resume operations. Despite the weakening winds, the observatory cautioned residents to avoid the shoreline, as intense rainbands associated with Yagi would continue to bring heavy squally showers.
China’s government deployed task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to guide flood and typhoon prevention efforts, according to Xinhua, the official news agency. In Haikou, Hainan’s capital, streets stood deserted as people sought shelter indoors, as evidenced by photographs shared on social media.
The projected landfall of Super Typhoon Yagi in Hainan is considered a rare event, as most typhoons hitting the duty-free island are classified as weak. Between 1949 and 2023, 106 typhoons made landfall in Hainan, but only nine were classified as super typhoons.
Scientists attribute the increasing strength of typhoons to warmer ocean temperatures, a consequence of climate change. Last week, Typhoon Shanshan struck southwestern Japan, marking the strongest storm to hit the country in decades. Yagi, which escalated to a super typhoon on Wednesday night, draws its name from the Japanese word for goat and the constellation of Capricornus, a mythical creature that is half goat and half fish.
