In anticipation of an approaching typhoon, tens of thousands of people are being evacuated in southern China and Vietnam. Typhoon Talim is expected to make landfall on Monday night, bringing powerful winds, storm surges, and heavy rains to the southern coastline from Guangdong to Hainan provinces. The China Meteorological Administration has issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning level, as the storm is forecasted to intensify into a severe typhoon.
Authorities in Vietnam are preparing to evacuate around 30,000 individuals from areas that are expected to be hit hardest in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces. Vietnam’s top disaster response committee stated that the storm could be one of the largest to affect the Gulf of Tonkin in recent years. Tourists have been advised to leave outlying islands, and airlines have rescheduled flights to avoid the typhoon.
In Hong Kong, where Typhoon Talim’s impact is already being felt, trading on the US$5.2 trillion stock market has been canceled, bringing the financial hub to a standstill. The Hong Kong Observatory has warned of possible flooding in low-lying areas due to storm surges, leading to the suspension of ferries and most bus services. Flight cancellations and delays have affected over 1,000 travelers, according to the Hong Kong Airport Authority.
In southern China’s Hainan island, authorities have requested that ships in nearby waters return to port due to waves potentially reaching up to six meters (20 feet), as warned by the local marine forecasting station. Ferry services between Hainan and neighbouring Guangdong province were suspended on Sunday, and Meilan International Airport and Qionghai Boao Airport on Hainan island have canceled all flights. Zhuhai Jinwan Airport in Guangdong, near Macau, has also canceled more than 80 flights.
The increasing intensity of typhoons has raised concerns among scientists, who attribute their power to the effects of climate change and global warming. As the world continues to warm, these storms are projected to become more frequent and sever
