Typhoon Noul Makes Landfall in Guangdong, More Than 700,000 Evacuated

Dragon Media News Desk

Typhoon Noul made landfall in south China’s Guangdong Province, prompting the National Meteorological Center to issue an orange typhoon alert on Sunday morning.

The storm struck the coastal area of Huidong County on Sunday morning. At the time of landfall, maximum winds near its centre reached 45 metres per second, or approximately 162 kilometres per hour, equivalent to Force 14 on China’s wind scale.

Chinese authorities said Noul was the first typhoon to make landfall in Guangdong this year and the strongest storm to hit the Chinese mainland so far this season. After moving inland, it weakened from a severe typhoon to a typhoon on Sunday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center.

China issued its highest-level red typhoon alert on Saturday night. Although the warning was downgraded to orange on Sunday morning, a red alert remained in place for rainstorms, along with a yellow alert for thunderstorms, strong winds and other severe convective weather.

Strong winds and heavy to torrential rainfall were forecast across parts of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei. The risk of flash floods reached the highest red-alert level in 43 counties across Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong.

Authorities instructed local governments to strengthen preparedness and emergency response against flash floods, landslides, mudslides, river flooding and urban waterlogging. The Ministry of Water Resources raised its emergency flood-control response to Level III in Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan.

By midnight on Sunday, 715,351 people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas across Guangdong. Schools, offices, factories, transport services and commercial activities were fully or partially suspended in 12 cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Huizhou, Shantou and Zhuhai.

High-speed and regular train services in Guangdong were suspended on Sunday. Airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Jieyang and Xiamen also adjusted flight schedules according to the storm’s impact.

Meteorological authorities warned that although the typhoon was weakening, the risk of widespread rainfall and secondary disasters could remain for several days. Residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel and follow official weather forecasts and instructions from local authorities.