People in southern China are bracing for another big storm that is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds on what looks like a very wet weekend.
Typhoon Koinu – which killed one and injured hundreds in Taiwan, while overturning or sinking over 70 boats in a harbour in the island’s south – is approaching the coast of Guangdong province.
Koinu, which means “puppy” in Japanese, will bring heavy rain along the coasts of Guangdong and neighbouring Fujian province in the next three days, China’s National Meteorological Centre (NMC) said.
The weather centre said Koinu could dump more than 300 millimetres of rain in Guangdong. It also issued a yellow alert for strong winds, the third highest in a four-coloured warning system.
ALSO SEE: US Set to Close Loopholes in Curbs on Chips Tools For China
Nearly 400 injured in Taiwan
Typhoon Koinu killed one person and injured almost 400 people in Taiwan, causing some of the most extensive damage on remote Orchid Island off the east coast and home to around 5,000 people, although no one was injured on the island.
More than 70 boats were overturned or sunk in a harbour on the island, while two schools were seriously damaged and power cut due to the typhoon.
Government and air force helicopters flew in engineers to restore electricity and telecommunications on Friday, though the first boats with supplies are not due to arrive on Orchid Island until Saturday morning. Civilian flights remain suspended.
“The situation is very bad, roads broken, cannot pump fuel and cannot buy anything from the convenience store, no food stocks and water. So everyone is collecting rain water for cooking,” Orchid Island restaurant owner Judy Chiu said.
Guangdong province has suspended dozens of ferry routes since late Thursday and the NMC warned tourists to stay away from beach resorts on the last day of a week-long national holiday on Friday.
Typhoon Koinu was travelling around 144 kph off the coast of the southern Guangdong city of Shanwei as of 8am on Friday, the centre said, slowing down from the 252 kph on Thursday in Taiwan.
The typhoon is expected to weaken into a strong tropical storm from late Friday and grow weaker as it heads west along China’s southern coast, it said.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
ALSO SEE:
Hong Kong, Shenzhen Shut Down as Typhoon Saola Closes In
Impact of Floods in China From Typhoon Doksuri Rises
Typhoons, Floods, Heatwaves Cost China Economy $5.7bn in July
Taiwan Shuts Schools, Stock Market as Typhoon Khanun Closes In
S Korea Lashed by Storm Khanun; 10,000 Evacuated, Flights Axed
