10 killed after Typhoon Noul makes landfall in southern China
Ten people were killed in rain-triggered floods in China as Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday, July 26, in the southern province of Guangdong.
Noul, the 12th and the strongest typhoon to hit China so far this year, made landfall at Huizhou city in Guangdong around 3:50 am, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain to large parts of the region.
Rain-triggered flash floods killed 10 in China's Gansu scenic area, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
China's National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response for Guangdong.
Level-IV is the least severe tier in the four-tier emergency response system. Level I is the most critical/severe.
High-speed rail services and flights across Guangdong province were cancelled on Sunday after Typhoon Noul made landfall in the province, bringing heavy rainfall to large parts of southern China.
The National Meteorological Centre issued its first red alert for a typhoon this year on Saturday evening. The alert was downgraded to orange and later to yellow on Sunday as Typhoon Noul weakened.
Red is the highest alert in China's four-tier, colour-coded warning system, in which blue is the lowest level.
The typhoon packed winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour, slightly stronger than Typhoon Bavi, which struck eastern and northeastern China about two weeks ago, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
A working team has been dispatched to the affected areas to assess the situation and assist local authorities in relocating and resettling residents, besides ensuring their basic living needs.
The National Development and Reform Commission also allocated 100 million yuan (about USD 14.7 million) from the central budget to support post-disaster recovery efforts in Guangdong.
The funds will primarily be used to restore damaged infrastructure, including roads, water conservancy facilities, schools and hospitals, to help resume normal production and daily life at the earliest.
Ahead of the typhoon's landfall, China's national observatory on Saturday issued a red alert, the highest level in the country's four-tier colour-coded typhoon warning system. Red is followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Emergency measures were also activated in Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, covering large parts of eastern, central and southern China.
In Hong Kong, authorities initiated emergency measures on Saturday as the typhoon approached. More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled, while the Home Affairs Department opened 28 temporary shelters in anticipation of the storm.
