Yagi hits southern China, closing schools and canceling flights

Powerful gales and heavy rain from Super Typhoon Yagi pounded southern China today, forcing schools to close for the second day and canceling flights as one of Asia's fiercest storms of the year approached Hainan's tropical coast.

The impact of Super Typhoon Yagi extends beyond immediate safety concerns, with economists warning of potential long-term effects on the region's economy. The closure of the Hong Kong stock exchange and major transport links could lead to significant financial losses, especially if the storm's aftermath lingers. Experts estimate that each day of disruption could cost the region billions in lost productivity and damage to infrastructure.

Yagi, with maximum sustained winds of 245kph near its eye, is now the world's second most powerful tropical cyclone in 2024, after only Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane Beryl.

Yagi, which has more than doubled in power since hitting the northern Philippines earlier this week, is projected to make landfall along China's coast from Wenchang, Hainan, to Leizhou, Guangdong, starting this afternoon.

As Yagi approaches, emergency response teams across the affected regions have been mobilized on an unprecedented scale. Thousands of rescue workers, medical personnel, and volunteers are on standby, ready to provide immediate assistance in the storm's aftermath. The Chinese government has also deployed military units to assist with potential evacuation efforts and to reinforce critical infrastructure against the typhoon's onslaught.

Overnight and this morning, the region experienced strong winds and rain, as well as thunder and lighting.

Today, major transport links in southern China were closed, with many flights cancelled in Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The world's longest sea crossing, the key bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was also blocked.

The stock exchange in Hong Kong, the financial capital, was closed, as were the schools.

The typhoon 8 warning, the third strongest, will be in effect until at least 12 p.m. today, Hong Kong's observatory said, indicating many companies would remain closed and transportation would be considerably limited.

Intense rainbands connected with Yagi will bring heavy squally rains to the area, the report added, recommending locals to avoid the shoreline.

China's government dispatched task teams to Guangdong and Hainan to assist with flood and typhoon protection, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Environmental scientists are closely monitoring the situation, as Super Typhoon Yagi presents a unique opportunity to study the effects of climate change on tropical storm systems. Researchers from several international universities have set up advanced weather monitoring equipment in safe locations across the region, hoping to gather crucial data on wind speeds, atmospheric pressure changes, and rainfall patterns. This information could prove invaluable in improving future typhoon forecasting and enhancing our understanding of how global warming influences these powerful natural phenomena.

Super Typhoon Yagi's expected landfall in Hainan is unusual, as most typhoons that hit on the duty-free island are categorized as weak. Between 1949 and 2023, 106 typhoons arrived in Hainan, although only nine were categorized as super typhoons.

Typhoons are becoming stronger as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, according to scientists. Typhoon Shanshan, the biggest storm to hit Japan in decades, made landfall in southwestern Japan last week.

The international community has rallied in support of China's efforts to prepare for and respond to Super Typhoon Yagi. Neighboring countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, have offered assistance in the form of disaster relief supplies and expert personnel. The United Nations has also activated its emergency response protocols, standing ready to coordinate international aid efforts if requested by the Chinese government. This show of solidarity highlights the growing recognition of the need for global cooperation in the face of increasingly severe weather events.

Yagi, which became a super typhoon on Wednesday night, is the Japanese term for goat as well as the constellation Capricornus, which represents a fabled monster that is half goat and half fish.