Typhoon Wipha caused serious flight disruptions on Sunday in Hong Kong and some neighboring Chinese airports, moving west along the southern coast. Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Macau airports canceled or delayed all their daytime flights, according to their websites. The movement of some high-speed trains in the area was suspended, UNN reports with reference to CNBC.
Details
The Hong Kong Observatory issued a hurricane warning at level ten, the highest danger level. The storm’s epicenter passed just south of the city around noon with a maximum sustained wind speed of 140 kilometers per hour.
The government reported that over 200 people went to public shelters and that it received dozens of reports of fallen trees. Hong Kong Disneyland and other amusement parks were closed.
The storm, which reached typhoon strength overnight, was moving towards Macau and the neighboring Chinese city of Zhuhai. It was forecast to make landfall late on Sunday and continue moving west, reaching Vietnam later this week.
Wipha, which is a Thai name, passed over the Philippines with tropical storm force and flooded parts of Taiwan on Saturday. Typhoon names in the western Pacific are chosen by countries in the region.
In the Philippines, the storm intensified seasonal monsoon rains, causing at least one villager to die in floods in the northern province of Cagayan.
More than 370,000 people were affected by the stormy weather, which lasted several days, including 43,000 who fled to government shelters or relatives’ homes due to floods, landslides, and strong winds. According to officials, the storm damaged more than 400 homes.
Addition
Tropical Storm “Danas” is heading towards the eastern coast of China, with Zhejiang province preparing for its landfall. The storm has already swept through Taiwan, causing two deaths and injuring over 600.
Powerful Category 3 Hurricane “Erik” reached the coast of southern Mexico in Oaxaca state. Maximum wind speeds reached 210 km/h, with destructive winds and heavy rains expected.
