Hundreds of flights were canceled in China’s Guangdong province and Hong Kong as Super Typhoon Saola moved closer to the mainland on Friday, forcing authorities to raise a strong storm advisory and close businesses, schools, and financial markets. The powerful typhoon, which brought floods to the northern Philippines this week, is expected to make landfall along the coast of Guangdong province that encompasses Hong Kong on Friday night or Saturday morning. The forecast has prompted Chinese authorities to keep their highest typhoon warning in place, although Saola is expected to weaken as it moves west toward the coast of mainland China.
In the city of Shanwei, closest to where Saola is expected to hit, authorities have ordered a halt to classes, work, and transport until an all-clear is given. Several other cities across southern China have also suspended transportation services and ordered students to stay at home as the new school year begins this week. China’s flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific, has canceled all flights in and out of Hong Kong between 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. In contrast, budget airline HK Express has canceled about 70 Friday and Saturday flights in and out of the city.
Across Hong Kong, people rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food and water as the weather worsened. Crowds pushed and shoveled at fresh food markets in the downtown Wan Chai district, with many vegetables sold out, while shoppers packed their belongings and prepared to evacuate. The city’s Observatory said rain and wind could bring down trees and power lines, while the ocean waters would be rough, and flooding in low-lying areas was possible.
The Hong Kong Observatory raised a Typhoon T8 threat alert – the third-highest – early Friday. With gusty winds of up to 205 kilometers per hour, Saola was expected to come “rather close” to the financial hub. The Observatory warned that the conditions would likely deteriorate rapidly throughout the day and advised residents to stay away from water sports or coastal areas.
China’s National Meteorological Center said Saola could land from Huidong County to Taishan city in Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, between Friday night and Saturday morning. It said the typhoon may reach hurricane strength if it maintains its current speed, although such a scenario is unlikely.
Three tropical cyclones have formed in the northwest Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, with Saola and Haikui labeled typhoons. At the same time, Kirogi, the most distant from the land, is still classified as a tropical storm. While the typhoons are unlikely to directly impact the major manufacturing hubs of Hong Kong and neighboring China’s southern Guangdong province, there is some concern about their impact on shipping lanes.
The typhoons will merge into one system later this weekend, but the exact path is unclear as long-range models continue to show a sharp curve in track to the north of the Philippines. The region is regularly slammed in summer and autumn by typhoons that form in the warm Pacific Ocean and move west. While they often cause significant disruption and occasional deaths, the number of casualties has fallen in recent years due to more robust building codes and better flood management.
