Baby crib sent flying, 800,000 flee: Typhoon Noul hits China; scary visuals emerge

Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province early Sunday, triggering widespread disruption, mass evacuations and emergency relief operations as powerful winds and torrential rain lashed several provinces. The storm also triggered deadly flash floods, with 10 people killed in China’s Gansu province, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.Chinese authorities activated disaster relief measures and relocated more than 800,000 people in Guangdong, while transport services were severely affected in Hong Kong, where hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled. High-speed rail services and flights across Guangdong were also cancelled after the typhoon made landfall.

The storm, which has since weakened while moving inland, is expected to continue bringing heavy rainfall across southern China until Tuesday, as per Reuters.China’s National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response for Guangdong after the cyclone struck the coast. Level IV is the least severe tier in China’s four-level emergency response system, with Level I being the highest.A central government team has been sent to assess damage, assist evacuations and support relief efforts, while the National Development and Reform Commission allocated 100 million yuan (around $14.7 million) for post-disaster reconstruction.

Hundreds of thousands evacuated as heavy rain triggers flood alerts

Typhoon Noul, the 12th cyclone to hit China this year and the third to make landfall this month, struck Huidong county in Guangdong at around 3:50 am local time on Sunday, according to Chinese authorities.The typhoon packed winds of up to 162 kmph, making it slightly stronger than Typhoon Bavi, which struck eastern and northeastern China earlier this month, as per South China Morning Post.Ahead of landfall, China’s national observatory issued a red alert—the highest warning in its four-tier typhoon system—while emergency measures were activated across Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangxi. The National Meteorological Centre later downgraded the warning from red to orange and subsequently to yellow on Sunday as the storm weakened.Authorities warned that the storm would dump heavy to torrential rainfall across much of southern China over the next two days, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides and overflowing rivers.China’s weather agency forecast exceptionally heavy rainfall in parts of Fujian, while local governments were urged to monitor vulnerable areas including mountain valleys, bridges and construction sites.According to news agency AP, more than 801,000 people had been relocated to safer areas in Guangdong by Sunday. China’s ministry of water resources also upgraded its flood-control emergency response over the heightened risk of mountain flooding.The central recovery package will be used to restore damaged infrastructure including roads, schools, hospitals and water conservancy facilities.

Hong Kong hit by transport chaos as dramatic visuals go viral

The typhoon also battered neighbouring Hong Kong with gale-force winds before moving inland.Authorities cancelled more than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services ahead of the storm, while 28 temporary shelters were opened for residents.Airport operations gradually resumed on Sunday afternoon after being largely suspended for over 12 hours.Around 350 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone, leaving nearly 2,000 passengers stranded over the weekend. At least 21 people were injured during the typhoon period in Hong Kong, according to local authorities.

Several dramatic videos from the storm quickly went viral on social media.One widely shared clip showed scaffolding collapsing from the side of a high-rise building in Hong Kong as strong winds battered the city.Police said no injuries were reported in the incident.The crib eventually flipped over, allowing the child inside to crawl back into it unharmed.Another video recorded in Guangdong captured a terrifying moment when fierce winds blew open the door of a home, sending a baby’s crib rolling across the room.Other videos circulating online showed hurricane-force winds uprooting trees, tossing debris through city streets and making it nearly impossible for pedestrians to stand upright as the storm swept across southern Chinese provinces.

Typhoon weakens but rain threat remains

Although Noul has weakened after moving inland, authorities warned that its impact is far from over.The Hong Kong Observatory said the storm was gradually weakening, prompting officials to lower the city’s typhoon warning signal from No. 8 to No. 3 on Sunday afternoon.However, the system is still expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to inland provinces including Jiangxi and Hunan through Tuesday.Noul is the strongest typhoon to make landfall in China so far this year. Before reaching China, the storm also affected the Philippines, where at least three people were killed and widespread flooding displaced many residents.It also brought heavy rain to parts of Taiwan without making landfall.