Beijing [China], September 9: The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on September 8 identified super typhoon Yagi as the strongest autumn storm to hit China since 1949.
According to the CMA, Yagi maintained super typhoon status for 64 hours, causing significant damage across many areas in China over the weekend, according to Xinhua on September 8.
Experts explained that there were many factors that significantly strengthened Typhoon Yagi , including strong monsoon activity in the East Sea, moisture from tropical cyclones and favorable atmospheric conditions.
Typhoon Yagi, which weakened and was downgraded to a tropical depression on September 8, could still bring heavy rain to some areas of Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, China's National Meteorological Center warned, highlighting the risk of flooding, landslides and urban inundation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the strengthening of disaster relief efforts. In a directive issued on September 7, Xi ordered the mobilization of rescue efforts, the relocation and resettlement of affected people, the prevention of secondary disasters and the minimization of casualties, according to China Daily .
He also urged the rapid repair of damaged infrastructure, including transportation, electricity and communications systems, stressing the need to actively rebuild after the disaster to restore normal order as soon as possible.
Typhoon Yagi made landfall in China on the afternoon of September 6, causing severe damage, especially in the two provinces of Hainan and Guangdong. Chinese authorities recorded 4 deaths and 95 injuries in Hainan. The estimated damage to infrastructure and transportation in the province was more than 720 million yuan, according to Xinhua. Chinese authorities said 26 national and provincial roads and 103 other expressways, with a total length of more than 400 kilometers, were damaged. Ferry terminals, airports and many other important construction projects were also affected.
As of the afternoon of September 7, in Haikou City, Hainan Province, local authorities had evacuated more than 105,000 people to avoid the storm, more than 400 houses were destroyed and 32,000 others were damaged. More than 167,000 trees were toppled and more than 56,000 hectares of crops were affected, causing economic losses of more than 26 billion yuan. Meanwhile, in Guangdong, nearly 730,000 people had to be relocated.
Many public transport facilities and infrastructures resumed operations across China on September 8. The Hainan provincial communications authority said telecommunications services across the province are expected to return to normal on September 10.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
