China Prepares for Super Typhoon Yagi: Schools Shut, Flights Cancelled

China's southern provinces are bracing for the impact of Super Typhoon Yagi, with schools and airports shutting down ahead of its arrival. Yagi, currently southeast of Guangdong Province, is expected to make landfall between Hainan and Guangdong on September 6, bringing heavy rains and disrupting transport and business activities.

China's southern provinces and cities are bracing for the imminent arrival of super typhoon Yagi, with schools shuttered and flights postponed as the storm heads for Hainan's tropical coast. Authorities predict it could be the most powerful storm to strike in nearly a decade.

The storm strengthened into a super typhoon on Wednesday night and is currently situated roughly 610 kilometers (379 miles) southeast of Xuwen County in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, according to China's Meteorological office. Yagi is advancing westward at 10-15 km/h (6-9 mph) and is expected to bring torrential rains to southern coastal areas, including Guangdong and Hainan island. Landfall is anticipated between Qionghai, Hainan, and Dianbai, Guangdong, from the afternoon to the night of September 6.

Train and boat services in Hainan have been suspended, and numerous schools across southern China, including Hong Kong and Macau, have closed. Hong Kong authorities may issue the third highest typhoon signal by Thursday afternoon, potentially shutting down many businesses and significantly reducing transport in the special administrative region. All flights in and out of Hainan's Haikou airport are suspended from Thursday evening until midnight Friday. Local authorities have also closed beaches and coastal tourist sites. Historically, super typhoons rarely make landfall on Hainan island, which has seen only nine such events from 1949 to 2023. Earlier this week, Yagi claimed 13 lives in the Philippines.

(With inputs from agencies.)