Typhoon Noul makes landfall in southern China, forcing 340,000 evacuations and cancelling 150 flights in Hong Kong

Landfall and winds

Typhoon Noul made landfall early on Sunday, 26 July, near the southern Chinese cities of Huizhou and Shanwei, packing sustained winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) near its centre. The Hong Kong Observatory had tracked the storm as it moved steadily across the South China Sea the previous day. The China Meteorological Centre confirmed the landfall in the early hours. As the typhoon passed within 80 kilometres of Hong Kong, the city's observatory raised the storm alert to Signal No. 9 for a period before downgrading it to Signal No. 8 at 07:10 local time. Strong gales continued to lash the financial hub through Sunday morning, with an Amber Rainstorm Warning issued after rainfall exceeded 30 mm in a single hour. The typhoon was weakening as it moved further inland, the observatory added.

Evacuations and transport shutdown

Authorities in Guangdong province ordered the relocation of more than 340,000 people by Saturday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Train services across the province were cancelled for the entire day on Sunday, according to the China News Service. In Hong Kong, the airport website showed that over 150 flights had been cancelled across Saturday and Sunday, and the airport authority said flight operations would gradually resume only after 6:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. Businesses and most transport links in Hong Kong remained closed under the Signal No. 8 warning, which was expected to stay in place until at least noon.

Alert levels and warnings

China's national weather authority issued a red alert, the highest level, on Saturday evening as Noul approached. Hong Kong's observatory initially hoisted the Signal No. 8, the third-highest tier, and then briefly raised it to Signal No. 9 early Sunday when the typhoon's track brought it closest to the city. After the downgrade to Signal No. 8, the observatory cautioned residents about the risk of flash floods and continued heavy rain.

Damage and regional effects

As the storm neared Hong Kong on Saturday afternoon, parts of scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed; police said initial reports indicated no injuries. In Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration said Noul would bring rainfall to the island's southern and eastern regions, though the storm passed through waters south of the island and moved away on Saturday. Noul is the 12th typhoon in the Pacific this year and the third to hit China in July, following Typhoon Maysak on 3 July and Typhoon Bavi on 11 July, which forced the evacuation of more than two million people in eastern China.