Typhoon Wipha causes flight disruptions in Hong Kong, southern China
Wipha was located about 60km (37 miles) southwest of Hong Kong at around 1pm (05:00 GMT) on Sunday and was moving west towards coastal regions of southern China, according to the latest satellite reports from the United States weather monitor NOAA and Japan's Himawari.
The Hong Kong observatory issued the T10 hurricane alert, saying 'winds with mean speeds of 118kmph (73mph) or more are expected' and pose 'considerable threat to Hong Kong'.
'Under the influence of its eyewall, hurricane force winds are affecting the southern part of the territory,' the observatory said, warning the public to 'beware of destructive winds'.
Huge waves were spotted off the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, according to the Reuters news agency.
A representative from Hong Kong's Airport Authority on Sunday said about 500 flights have been cancelled, while 400 others are scheduled to take off or land later in the day.
China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces were also put on high alert, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Macao cancelled or delayed all daytime flights on Sunday.
More than 200 people have sought refuge at government-run temporary shelters in Hong Kong. One man sought medical treatment at the emergency room of a public hospital on Sunday morning, with officials receiving more than a dozen reports of fallen trees.
Authorities also suspended Sunday's classes at all day schools and daycare centres, while trains offered limited services.
Hong Kong last hoisted the T10 warning signal for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023.
Wipha, which in Thai means 'splendour', also passed over the Philippines at tropical storm strength and drenched parts of Taiwan.
The typhoon also intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, and two people have been reported missing, according to the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
More than 370,000 people in the Philippines were affected by days of stormy weather, including 43,000 who fled to government-run emergency shelters or homes of relatives due to flooding, landslides and fierce winds.
More than 400 houses were damaged in the onslaught, officials in the Philippines said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Photo: Deadly rain, landslides force mass evacuations in northern China
Published On 29 Jul 2025 29 Jul 2025 Heavy rain has killed at least 30 people and forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands after swaths of northern China were lashed by torrential downpours that prompted landslides, according to state media. Weather authorities have issued their second-highest rainstorm warning for the capital Beijing, neighbouring Hebei and Tianjin, as well as 10 other provinces in northern, eastern and southern China, state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday. The rains are expected to last into Wednesday, it added. As of midnight on Monday, 'the latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing,' Xinhua said, citing the city's municipal flood control headquarters. More than 80,000 people have been evacuated in the Chinese capital alone, local state-run outlet Beijing Daily said on social media. The death toll was highest in Miyun, a suburban district northeast of the city centre, it said. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged authorities late on Monday to plan for worst-case scenarios and rush the relocation of residents of flood-threatened areas. Beijing Daily said local officials had 'made all-out efforts to search and rescue missing persons … and made every effort to reduce casualties'. The government has allocated 350 million yuan ($48m) for disaster relief in nine regions hit by heavy rains, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday. They include northern Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, northeastern Jilin, eastern Shandong and southern Guangdong. A separate 200 million yuan ($27m) has been set aside for the capital, the broadcaster said.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Heavy rains leave 30 dead in China's capital Beijing as downpour continues
At least 30 people have been killed by severe rainfall and flooding in Beijing as heavy rains drench the Chinese capital, state media report. The deaths occurred in Beijing's mountainous northern districts, with 28 killed in Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua state news agency reported on Tuesday. 'The latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing as of midnight Monday,' Xinhua said, citing the city's municipal flood control headquarters. Torrential rain started over the weekend and intensified around the Chinese capital and surrounding provinces on Monday, with Beijing recording rainfall of up to 543mm (21.3 inches) in its northern districts, Xinhua said. Authorities in Beijing have relocated more than 80,000 residents from areas worst hit by flooding, which has damaged dozens of roads and cut power to at least 136 villages, the country's national broadcaster CCTV reported. The heaviest rain in Beijing is expected early on Tuesday, with rainfall of up to 300mm (11.8 inches) forecast for some areas. Authorities ordered the release of water from a reservoir in Beijing's rural Miyun district, which was at its highest level since it was built in 1959, according to reports, with locals being warned to stay away from rivers downstream as their levels rose and as more heavy rain is forecast. Chinese President Xi Jinping late on Monday night ordered 'all-out' search and rescue efforts to minimise casualties, as authorities ordered people to stay indoors, closed schools, suspended construction work and stopped outdoor tourism and other activities until the emergency warning is lifted. In the town of Taishitun, about 100km (60 miles) northeast of central Beijing, streets were covered in mud and water on Monday, and uprooted trees lay in piles with their bare roots exposed, the Associated Press news agency reports. 'The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up,' said local resident Zhuang Zhelin, who was clearing mud with his family from their building materials shop. Earlier reports on Monday said the torrential rains and flooding had killed four people, with eight others missing, following a landslide in the country's Hebei province, located south of Beijing.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Heavy rains, flooding kill at least 30 in Beijing as downpour continues
At least 30 people have been killed by severe rainfall and flooding in Beijing as heavy rains drench the Chinese capital, state media report. The deaths occurred in Beijing's mountainous northern districts, with 28 killed in Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua state news agency reported on Tuesday. 'The latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing as of midnight Monday,' Xinhua said, citing the city's municipal flood control headquarters. Torrential rain started over the weekend and intensified around the Chinese capital and surrounding provinces on Monday, with Beijing recording rainfall of up to 543mm (21.3 inches) in its northern districts, Xinhua said. Authorities in Beijing have relocated more than 80,000 residents from areas worst hit by flooding, which has damaged dozens of roads and cut power to at least 136 villages, the country's national broadcaster CCTV reported. The heaviest rain in Beijing is expected early on Tuesday, with rainfall of up to 300mm (11.8 inches) forecast for some areas. Authorities ordered the release of water from a reservoir in Beijing's rural Miyun district, which was at its highest level since it was built in 1959, according to reports, with locals being warned to stay away from rivers downstream as their levels rose and as more heavy rain is forecast. Chinese President Xi Jinping late on Monday night ordered 'all-out' search and rescue efforts to minimise casualties, as authorities ordered people to stay indoors, closed schools, suspended construction work and stopped outdoor tourism and other activities until the emergency warning is lifted. In the town of Taishitun, about 100km (60 miles) northeast of central Beijing, streets were covered in mud and water on Monday, and uprooted trees lay in piles with their bare roots exposed, the Associated Press news agency reports. 'The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up,' said local resident Zhuang Zhelin, who was clearing mud with his family from their building materials shop. Earlier reports on Monday said the torrential rains and flooding had killed four people, with eight others missing, following a landslide in the country's Hebei province, located south of Beijing.
