HONG KONG, July 20: Typhoon Wipha toppled trees and caused major flight disruptions Sunday in Hong Kong and at some nearby airports in China as it moved west off the southern coast of the country.
Airports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and the casino hub of Macao cancelled or postponed flights for most of the day, according to their websites. Hong Kong grounded at least 400 flights, affecting around 80,000 passengers, broadcaster RTHK said. Some high-speed train services were also suspended.
The typhoon stayed just offshore until about 6 pm, when it made landfall in a coastal area of Taishan city in Guangdong province, China’s National Meteorological Centre said. It then weakened to a severe tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 108 kph.
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Earlier Sunday, the Hong Kong Observatory issued a hurricane signal No 10, its highest warning. The eye of the storm passed just south of the city around midday with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph, the observatory said.
The high winds brought down trees in Zhuhai and other cities on China’s southern coast.
In Hong Kong, vehicles weaved around branches strewn on the streets. The government said that it had received more than 450 reports of fallen trees and that 26 people had sought medical treatment at public hospitals. A statement didn’t provide details on any injuries.
More than 250 people had sought refuge in public shelters, the statement said. Hong Kong Disneyland and other amusement parks were closed.
The storm, which reached typhoon strength overnight, later passed off Macao and was forecast to make landfall on China’s coast late Sunday. It is expected to reach Vietnam later this week.
Wipha, which is a Thai name, passed over the Philippines at tropical storm strength and drenched parts of Taiwan on Saturday. Names for typhoons in the western Pacific are chosen by the countries in the region.
In the Philippines, the storm intensified seasonal monsoon rains, leaving at least one villager dead in floodwaters in northern Cagayan province.
More than 3,70,000 people have been affected by days of stormy weather, including 43,000 who fled to government-run emergency shelters or homes of relatives because of flooding, landslides and fierce winds. More than 400 houses were damaged, officials said.
Elsewhere in Asia, five days of torrential rain in South Korea has left 14 people dead and 12 others missing, the government said Sunday. (AP)
