Yagi: The Devastating Typhoon Shaking Asia

A powerful typhoon named Yagi struck Hainan, China, affecting life significantly by grounding flights, closing businesses, and forcing evacuations. Yagi, the strongest autumn typhoon in China, is expected to make multiple landfalls. The storm also affected Hong Kong and the Philippines, causing fatalities and massive displacements.

A powerful typhoon named Yagi made landfall on the Chinese tropical vacation island of Hainan on Friday, after passing south of Hong Kong, bringing many aspects of life in the region to a standstill.

The Hainan province's meteorological service reported that Yagi, which had earlier packed winds of up to about 245 km (152 miles) per hour near its center, landed in Wenchang city at around 4:20 pm. Forecasts indicated it would sweep across other parts of the island before moving to the Beibu Gulf.

According to China's national meteorological authorities, Yagi is the strongest autumn typhoon to hit China. It is anticipated to make a second landfall in Xuwen County in neighboring Guangdong province on Friday night. Nearly 420,000 residents were evacuated from Hainan as preventive measures were put in place, including sandbag barriers and reinforced windows. State media reported suspensions in classes, work, transportation, and businesses across parts of the province since Wednesday evening, with tourist attractions closing and all flights at three airports grounded on Friday.

State broadcaster CCTV indicated that Qinzhou city in Guangxi region issued a top emergency response alert. Projections suggest Yagi will make another landfall between Fangchenggang city and northern Vietnam's coast on Saturday afternoon. The storm had earlier disrupted life in Hong Kong, where the city's weather authority raised a No. 8 typhoon signal, halting trading, bank services, and schools, leading over 270 people to seek refuge in temporary shelters and resulting in more than 100 flight cancellations and nine injuries. Heavy rains and strong winds damaged property and felled trees.

Yagi had also emerged from the northwestern Philippines into the South China Sea as a tropical storm, leaving at least 16 people dead and 17 missing, primarily due to landslides and flooding. The storm impacted over 2 million people in northern and central provinces of the Philippines, displacing more than 47,600 people, and disrupting classes, work, ferry services, and flights, including in metropolitan Manila.

(With inputs from agencies.)