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China is bracing itself for the arrival of super-typhoon Yagi, expected to be the strongest storm in nearly a decade, as emergency alerts were raised, schools were shut and flights cancelled.
Yagi, which has doubled in strength after hitting the Philippines earlier this week, now packs sustained winds of 209 kmph (130 mph) near its eye, making it the second-most powerful cyclone this year anywhere in the world after Hurricane Beryl.
On Thursday morning its epicentre was 610km southeast of Zhanjiang City in Guangdong province. Moving westward at 10-15 kmph, it is churning towards China’s southern provinces. It will have the biggest impact on Guangdong and Hainan, with landfall expected between Qionghai and Dianbai on Friday.
Authorities in China, Hong Kong, and Macau have shut schools, suspended flights, and raised typhoon alerts as the storm nears. Hong Kong’s stock exchange may close if its No 8 signal – the third in a five-tier system – remains in place on Friday.
Super-typhoons rarely make landfall in Hainan, with only nine out of 106 from 1949 to 2023 classified as such.
