Super Typhoon Yagi has made landfall on the Chinese island province of Hainan, according to state media. More than 400,000 residents were evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival.
The Hainan meteorological service reported that Yagi, which had maximum sustained winds of 245 km/h (152 mph) near its center, struck the province’s Wenchang city at approximately 4:20 p.m. local time (08:20 GMT) on Friday.
Yagi has become the world’s second-most powerful tropical cyclone of 2024, following Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane Beryl, and is the strongest storm in the Pacific basin.
According to state news agency Xinhua, over 419,000 residents in Hainan, a popular tourist spot, were evacuated before Yagi made landfall on Friday. The storm has significantly intensified since it struck the northern Philippines earlier this week, where it caused 16 fatalities.
Yagi is anticipated to continue its path across Hainan and Guangdong province before heading towards the Beibu Gulf.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Water Resources upgraded its emergency response to flooding in both provinces to the third-highest tier.
Xinhua reported that Yagi is anticipated to be the strongest typhoon to strike China’s southern coast since 2014, presenting significant challenges for flood prevention efforts, according to a meeting with flood officials.
This year’s strongest storm in Asia is also impacting neighboring Vietnam, where tens of thousands of people are preparing for its arrival over the weekend. Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that four northern airports, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai International, will be closed on Saturday.
Laos is also expected to face effects from Yagi.
On Friday, transportation in southern China was largely disrupted due to the impact of Yagi. Flights were canceled across Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.
The world’s longest sea crossing, the bridge connecting Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was closed. In Hong Kong, the stock exchange, schools, and banks were all shut down for the day.
Yagi’s landfall in Hainan is unusual. Between 1949 and 2023, Hainan experienced 106 typhoons, but only nine were classified as super typhoons. In 2014, Typhoon Rammasun, a Category 5 storm, hit the island, resulting in 88 fatalities and $6.25 billion in economic losses.
Scientists report that typhoons are intensifying due to warmer oceans and climate change.
Just last week, Typhoon Shanshan struck southwestern Japan, marking the most powerful storm to hit the country in decades.
