Southern China found itself under siege as Super Typhoon Saola, one of the most formidable tropical storms in the region’s history, posed an imminent threat. The megacities of Hong Kong and Shenzhen were compelled to enact comprehensive shutdowns in anticipation of the tempest’s arrival.
Tens of millions of residents hunkered down in their homes as the hurricane forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, the suspension of stock market trading, and the postponement of the commencement of the school year in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong authorities, bracing for a potential direct hit, issued warnings that the typhoon’s threat level might be elevated from T8 to T9 or T10 – the highest alert, a rarity in the city’s history since World War II, having been declared only 16 times.
Incredible satellite imagery as Typhoon #Saola barrels toward Hong Kong and Macao. pic.twitter.com/jOzmluGXty
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) September 1, 2023
As of 2:00 PM (0600 GMT), Saola loomed 140 kilometers east-southeast of Hong Kong, wielding sustained winds of 210 kilometers per hour.
Mainland China has preemptively raised the highest typhoon warning for the impending storm. The national weather office has expressed concerns that Saola could rank among the top five most potent typhoons to strike southern Guangdong province – home to Shenzhen – since 1949.
Shenzhen’s emergency response department announced, “The city will open all shelters for the public to take refuge.” Shenzhen, housing 17.7 million residents, plans to halt all public transportation by evening, while trains to and from Guangdong will cease operation from 8:00 PM until 6:00 PM Saturday.
Despite the disruptions, Wu Wenlai, a restaurant owner in a Shenzhen suburb, maintained a pragmatic outlook, saying, “Of course, it’s going to affect our life. We usually have several typhoons every year.”
Across the border in Hong Kong, authorities cautioned that Saola might come within 50 kilometers of the territory, potentially inducing a storm surge leading to “serious flooding.” The city’s weather observatory remarked that “the maximum sea level may be similar to that when Mangkhut hit Hong Kong in 2018.”
Typhoon Mangkhut’s 2018 strike, the last time Hong Kong issued a T10 warning, inflicted over 300 injuries, uprooting trees and causing widespread flooding. In mainland China, it impacted over three million individuals in the southern provinces, resulting in six fatalities.
Southern China frequently grapples with typhoons in the summer and autumn, emanating from the warm oceans east of the Philippines before journeying westward. Climate change has amplified the intensity of these tropical storms, leading to increased rainfall and more potent gusts, culminating in flash floods and coastal devastation.
Hong Kong’s thoroughfares lay deserted on Friday, as last-minute shoppers flocked to markets to stock up for the impending weekend. Duct-taped glass displays and windows adorned businesses, while sandbags were positioned along the Kowloon waterfront to fend off flooding.
Surfers capitalized on the formidable winds, riding colossal waves generated by the approaching typhoon at a Hong Kong beach.
Hong Kong’s airport authority disclosed that more than 300 flights were canceled on Friday, though 600 remained scheduled. Thus far, Saola has displaced thousands in its path, particularly in the northern Philippines, but as of now, no direct casualties have been reported.
Source AFP
