Typhoon Yagi Leaves Two Dead and 92 Injured in China, Moves Toward Vietnam

The massive Typhoon Yagi has left at least two people dead and 92 injured on the tourist island of Hainan in southern China, according to the official Xinhua News Agency today (Saturday). The typhoon caused heavy rainfall and winds exceeding 230 kilometers per hour, prompting the evacuation of about 460,000 people, according to the state-run CCTV station. In neighboring Guangdong province (south), authorities said on Friday they had evacuated more than 574,000 residents to safe areas.

   The airport in Haikou, Hainan’s northern capital, canceled all inbound and outbound flights on Saturday until 3:00 PM local time, according to CCTV. Southern China is usually struck by typhoons during the summer and fall, forming in the warm oceans east of the Philippines before heading westward. However, due to climate change, predicting tropical storms has become more difficult, with their intensity increasing, leading to heavy rains and strong winds that cause flooding and damage to coasts, according to experts. The typhoon is expected to head towards Vietnam after passing through southern China, where it is forecast to hit northern and central northern areas around the UNESCO-listed Halong Bay on Saturday.