Tropical Storm Podul drenches southern China
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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Storm causes chaos in China after slamming Taiwan
Tropical storm Podul dumped torrential rain on southern China and caused widespread disruption in Hong Kong after tearing through Taiwan and leaving 143 people injured. In Hong Kong, the hearing of media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was cancelled after authorities put in place their highest-level "black" rainstorm warning. Outpatient clinics had reduced opening hours and schools were shut for the day. In southern China, still reeling from record downpours last week, airports reported cancellation rates of around 20%, according to data from Flightmaster, as Podul pelted parts of the provinces of Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi with more than 70 mm (2.76 inches) of rain an hour. Over a third of flights to Quanzhou - a key textile, footwear and apparel export hub - were cancelled, with analysts warning extreme weather events increasingly pose a threat to growth in the world's second-largest economy. China has been battling with record rainfall in its north and south as well as prolonged heatwaves in its interior. The government on Thursday announced 430 million yuan ($US59.9 million) in fresh funding for disaster relief, taking the total allocated since April to at least 5.8 billion yuan. "It's been raining constantly, and raining really heavily," said Cara Liang, a 25-year-old visitor to Hong Kong from China's neighbouring Guangdong province. "Many places in mainland China have experienced flooding, which hasn't been good for anyone," she told Reuters in the Asian financial centre's business district. In nearby Macau, rainfall of nearly 110mm poured on some parts of the city in one hour, its meteorological bureau said on Thursday. It warned of flooding in low-lying areas with heavy rain forecast to persist. Schools in Macau were shut on Thursday afternoon and residents were urged to stay indoors, local authorities in the former Portuguese colony said. Podul made landfall on the coast of China's southeastern province of Fujian at 00:30 on Thursday (local time), having weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm after lashing Taiwan with winds of up to 191kmh. Its residual vortex is now wreaking havoc in southern China as it moves northwest at a speed of 30-35kmh. "Authorities need to be extra ready," said Chim Lee, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "There's growing evidence that we're seeing more intense and slower-moving tropical cyclones. "China's southern coast is set for economic disruptions of all kinds. Most institutions in the region are fairly well prepared, but there also seems to be a subtle northward shift in where cyclones reach their peak intensity - these places need to keep a sharper eye out." Over one million cubic meters of water, the equivalent of 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools, was discharged from a reservoir in eastern Guangdong on Wednesday to free up space in anticipation of further heavy rain, state media reported. Authorities in Guangdong's Meizhou closed all the highways on Thursday morning due to the downpour, while the high-speed railway linking the high-tech hubs of Shenzhen and Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang province was suspended. Hong Kong saw its heaviest August rainfall since 1884 last week, while in Guangdong, 75,000 people were evacuated as 622.6mm of rain fell on the provincial capital Guangzhou between August 2 and 6 - nearly three times the city's August average - leaving at least seven dead.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Final arguments in Jimmy Lai's national security trial in Hong Kong delayed over health concerns
HONG KONG (AP) — The final arguments in prominent Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai's national security trial were postponed Friday after his lawyer said the former pro-democracy newspaper founder had experienced heart palpitations and the judges wanted him to receive medical treatment first. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019. He faces charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment. Lai's landmark case — which has already lasted over 140 days, far beyond the original estimate of 80 days — is widely seen as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub. Closing statements were initially scheduled to begin on Thursday, but were postponed due to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Podul. On Friday, Lai's lawyer, Robert Pang, told the court that Lai felt unsteady and had experienced heart palpitations. Pang said his client does not want to disturb the court proceedings. Judge Esther Toh said Lai had not received medication and a heart monitor, as recommended by a medical specialist. The judges decided to postpone the hearing until Monday. When Lai entered the courtroom, he smiled and nodded at people sitting in the public gallery. Lai's detention has drawn attention from foreign governments. U.S. President Donald Trump, before the election last November, was asked whether he would talk to Chinese leader Xi Jinping to seek Lai's release, and Trump said: 'One hundred percent, I will get him out.' In a Fox News radio interview released Thursday, Trump denied saying he would '100%' save Lai. 'I said, 100%, I'm going to be bringing it up. And I've already brought it up, and I'm going to do everything I can to save him,' he said. Lai's son and rights groups have voiced concerns about his health. His son Sebastien Lai earlier told reporters in Washington that he fears his father could pass away at any time. On Tuesday, global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Lai has been held in solidarity confinement for over 1,680 days and that his health is deteriorating. In a statement, it called for the international community to take action to ensure the immediate release of Lai and six other former Apple Daily executives involved in the case. But the Hong Kong government rejected in a statement on Wednesday what it called 'slanderous remarks' by external forces, including 'anti-China media organizations,' about the case and Lai's custody treatment. Ahead of the hearing, dozens of people lined up outside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom. Some of them also waited for hours in heavy rain on Thursday before the postponement, including resident Margaret Chan. Chan, who arrived before 5:30 a.m. on Friday, said Lai's case showed the world the decline in Hong Kong's press freedom. 'To me, he's a great person. He made such a big sacrifice. He's so rich. He could have predicted this, and he could have left,' said Chan.
HKFP
3 days ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong gov't says sudden drain blockages unavoidable after severe flooding during recent rainstorms
The Hong Kong government has said sudden drain blockages during rainstorms 'cannot be eliminated' despite frequent inspections and cleaning. It comes after multiple parts of the city saw floods and torrential rain in recent weeks. The Drainage Services Department confirmed on Thursday that six areas in Hong Kong remained flooded as of 5pm, after the Hong Kong Observatory issued the fifth black rainstorm warning of the year that morning as Tropical Cyclone Podul skirted the city. Heavy rain continued to affect different parts of the territory as the highest rainstorm signal was later lowered to red and then amber that day. The western part of Hong Kong Island was particularly hard-hit by the rainstorm. Among the six flooding reports were areas of Pok Fu Lam Road near Queen Mary Hospital; Pok Fu Lam Road near the University of Hong Kong; and Water Street in Sai Ying Pun. The other flooded areas included Lung Fu Road in Tuen Mun; South Lantau Road near Lai Chi Yuen Village; and Ham Tin Village in Pui O. Heavy downpours thrash city Flooding has become a frequent sight in Hong Kong in recent weeks as heavy downpours hit the city. Last Tuesday, the city's fourth black rainstorm signal of the year was hoisted, with the Observatory recording 358.8 millimetres of rainfall at its Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters – the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884. According to the Drainage Services Department, Hong Kong is home to around 240 flood-prone locations. The city has adopted a 'three-pronged flood prevention strategy' – intercepting water flow, storing floodwater, and dredging. Acknowledging public concerns over why flooding still occurs during heavy rain, the department said on Thursday that most cases were caused by large amounts of leaves, branches, and debris being washed into roadside gullies and inlets in low-lying areas, resulting in blockages. Rainwater was therefore unable to reach the underground stormwater collection and drainage system, the department said. 'Although relevant departments – including the Drainage Services Department, the Highways Department, and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department – conduct frequent inspections and cleaning of roadside gullies and inlets, sudden blockages during rainstorms cannot be eliminated,' a Facebook post by 'Drainy,' managed by the Drainage Services Department, read. The department vowed to maintain 'close communication' with the Observatory and the Highways Department, and to dispatch response teams rapidly in case of flooding emergencies. It also appealed to the public to keep drainage channels clear at all times and not to place objects that could block drain inlets. Earlier this month, Leung Wing-mo, former assistant director of the Observatory, told HKFP that climate change has exacerbated weather fluctuations and that the city can expect more extreme weather. The Hong Kong government was urged to strengthen its policies to tackle the climate crisis following a key advisory ruling by the United Nations' top court last month. The landmark decision ruled that countries are legally bound to reduce their emissions, as well as compensate those affected by the climate crisis. It asserted that there was an 'urgent and existential threat' to humanity, with greenhouse gas emissions 'unequivocally' caused by human activity.
