Nearly 230,000 people were evacuated on Monday in southern China and Vietnam and many flights were canceled due to the arrival of a cyclone, according to local authorities.
Cyclone Talim made landfall on the coast of southeast China’s Guangdong Province at around 10:20 p.m. with winds exceeding 136 km/h, the Chinese meteorological service said. Strong winds and heavy rains are expected to hit the coast of Guangdong and Hainan provinces in southern China.
An orange alert has been issued. This is the second highest level on a scale of four.
Canceled flights
The storm is expected to slow down Tuesday morning and “weaken and dissipate over northern Vietnam” on Wednesday, weather services forecast. According to scientists, cyclones are expected to become more and more powerful due to global warming.
Nearly 230,000 people have been evacuated in Guangdong province, including more than 8,000 fish farm workers who have been taken ashore, the Xinhua news agency said.
More than 1,000 travelers were affected by flight cancellations and delays, the Hong Kong airport authority said. The nearby Macau airport canceled 80 flights.
According to FlightAware, a website that tracks air traffic, more than 240 flights have been canceled in the region. Ships around Hainan Island have been urged to return to port quickly as waves may reach 6 meters in height in the next few hours.
In neighboring Vietnam, authorities were preparing to evacuate 30,000 people in the provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, which are expected to bear the brunt as of Monday afternoon.
The cyclone “could be one of the most significant to hit the Gulf of Tonkin in recent years,” the Vietnamese disaster management organization warned.
Source: BFM TV
