Super Typhoon Saola: Chinese Megacities Hong Kong, Shenzhen Shut Down, Brace for Storms – News18

Millions living across southern China are bracing for Super Typhoon Saola as it moved towards Hong Kong and Shenzhen packing sustained wind speeds at 210 kilometres per hour.

If the typhoon makes landfall in China’s Guangdong Province, it could be one of the most powerful typhoons to hit the region.

Super Typhoon Saola has led to cancellations of hundreds of flights, shutting business and closing schools. On Friday, the super typhoon Saola was 180 km east-southeast of Hong Kong.

Due to the oncoming super typhoon the stock market in Hong Kong cancelled trading as the city authorities issued the T8 signal — the city’s third-highest typhoon warning level.

Shenzhen in Guangdong has halted work, businesses and market activity from 4 pm and said that transportation services will be halted in the evening.

“Apart from emergency response personnel and livelihood protection personnel, people are advised not to go out. The city will open all shelters for the public to take refuge,” the Shenzhen Emergency Department said.

Chinese state-run media predicted that super typhoon Saola would make landfall “in the coastal areas stretching from Huilai to Hong Kong” on Friday afternoon or evening.

Hong Kong authorities warned that it could go round 100 kilometres south of the territory, causing a storm surge around Victoria Harbour.

Residents of the city were reminded of the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut which injured more than 300 people and water levels rose to high levels.

There is a possibility that authorities may raise the threat level to the highest “T10″.

Hong Kong airport authorities said that due to super typhoon Saola arriving and departing flights have “basically been cancelled”.

“As of now, we have had 366 flights cancelled and 40 flights delayed… Thanks to the support of airlines and our various service providers, we could ensure that 600 flights today operated normally,” Wing Yeung, general manager of Airport Authority terminal operations was quoted as saying by AFP.

Stronger building codes and better flood management systems have reduced fatalities in southern Chinese cities which witness typhoons that form in the warm oceans east of the Philippines and then travel west in summer and autumn.

Hong Kong witnessed drizzles but wind and rain is expected to pick up later.

South Korean capital Seoul witnessed large-scale displacement of people earlier this week as Saola passed the northern Philippines, but no direct casualties have been reported.