A severe tropical storm heads for southern China after toppling trees on Hainan island
BEIJING (AP) — Authorities evacuated thousands of people, closed schools and canceled flights Friday as a severe tropical storm dumped heavy rain on parts of China's Hainan island and headed for the country's southern coast.
Photos posted by a Chinese news outlet showed toppled trees and a strewn corrugated metal fence at a construction site in the city of Sanya, a popular beach resort on Hainan. All schools, construction sites and tourist attractions in Sanya were closed and flights were suspended at the city's airport, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
A dozen crew members were rescued Thursday night from a cargo ship that called for help, Xinhua said. The crew were transferred to a rescue vessel in rough seas with 3-meter (10-foot) waves.
Tropical Storm Wutip had maximum sustained winds of 108 kilometers (67 miles) per hour as it headed northwest off Hainan's west coast. It was forecast to turn northeast and make landfall around noon Saturday on the Chinese mainland near the border between Guangdong province and the Guangxi region.
Guangdong activated rescue boats and helicopters and more than 49,000 fishing boats returned to port, Xinhua said. The provincial meteorological agency forecast heavy rain and said tornadoes were possible.
Wutip means 'butterfly' in Cantonese, which is spoken in Macao. Countries and the Chinese regions of Hong Kong and Macao contribute the names for storms during the typhoon season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Men hit by lightning plucked from mountain in a record-high Colorado helicopter rescues
Rescuers fetched two men struck by lightning from a Colorado peak in what they believe were the highest helicopter rescues on record in this mountainous state. One man remained hospitalized in fair condition Friday while the other was treated at a hospital and released. The rescues happened late Thursday near the summit of Torreys Peak, a 14,300-foot (4,360-meter) mountain about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Denver. Torreys Peak is ranked variously as the 11th or 12th highest summit in Colorado and is less than 200 feet (60 meters) shorter than the state's highest mountain, Mount Elbert. The men from New York state, whose identities weren't released, had decided to summit the mountain during a road trip, Alpine Rescue Team public information officer Jake Smith said. They first called for help around 5 p.m. after getting off course on their way up a technical route. A different route doesn't require climbing gear or expertise. 'It doesn't sound like they had a ton of prior experience. I think it was probably just a lack of awareness,' said Smith, who was among the rescuers on the ground. Rescue officials guided the men back on course, and they made it to the summit. Minutes later, one of them called back to report they had been struck by lightning. About 30 rescuers went up the mountain while another team used a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter to get the more seriously injured man, who was nonresponsive and in critical condition, off the peak using a hoist at 14,200 feet (4,330 meters). He was flown down to an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, then to a Denver hospital with a burn unit, Smith said. The helicopter made another trip around midnight to fetch the less seriously hurt man by partially touching down on the mountain. The rescuers believe Colorado's previous record for a helicopter rescue was 13,700 feet (4,175 meters). Such rescues are challenging because thin air causes helicopters to lose lifting ability the higher they fly; the Blackhawk has an altitude limit of about 19,000 feet (5,800 meters). Hikers and climbers often prefer to ascend during the morning and avoid the Rocky Mountain high country on summer afternoons. Thunderstorms are common and can develop suddenly with dangerous lightning, hail and plummeting temperatures.
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Washington Post
Deaths in San Antonio rise to 11 and some are still missing after heavy storms, officials say
SAN ANTONIO — Authorities in San Antonio on Friday said the number of people who died in heavy storms and flooding has risen to 11 and that some remain missing. Rescue crews were still searching for missing people following Thursday's downpour as the flooding recedes, San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington said. More than a dozen totaled cars were found stuck and overturned in a creek after over 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rainfall fell in parts of the nation's seventh-largest city. Three of the 11 confirmed dead were between 28 to 55 years old, according to officials. San Antonio officials said the search for the missing was focused on the creek. The vehicles were likely quickly swept off the road by fast-rising waters and that more than 70 water rescues had been made across the city, officials said. 'Our hearts are with the families of those we've lost to this week's flash floods and the families who continue searching for their loved ones,' Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Associated Press
Deaths in San Antonio flooding rise to 10 and some are still missing, officials say
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Authorities in San Antonion on Friday said the number of people who died in heavy storms has risen to 10 and that some remain missing. Rescue crews were searching for missing people following Thursday's downpour, as the flooding recedes, San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington said. More than a dozen cars were found stuck and overturned in a creek after over 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rainfall fell in the area Thursday. Several vehicles were likely quickly swept off the road by fast rising waters, officials said. More than 70 water rescues had been made, they said.
