Typhoon Noul Hits Southern China: Massive Evacuations and Flight Disruptions

Early Saturday morning, Typhoon Noul surged ashore along China’s south‑coast, dumping rain and whipping up winds that topped 150 km/h in places. The storm, which had been prowling the South China Sea for days, finally found solid ground near the Guangdong province, sending a wave of alarm through local officials.

Authorities acted fast. Emergency teams mobilised and, by late afternoon, more than 340,000 residents had been shepherded to shelters or moved inland. In a few of the hardest‑hit towns, schools were shut, power lines were felled, and streets turned into rivers. “We’re doing everything we can to keep people safe,” a spokesperson from the Guangdong emergency bureau said, his voice a little strained by the howling wind.

Air travel was another casualty. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the region’s busiest hubs, cancelled almost all departures and arrivals for the day. Nearby Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports also scrubbed dozens of flights, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded, some of them huddling in airport lounges as the storm rattled the windows.

In Hong Kong, the famous Mong Kok shopping district turned into a soggy maze of umbrellas and hurried pedestrians. The rain was relentless, and the gusts bent the iconic neon signs into a jittery dance. “It’s like the whole city is holding its breath,” a local shop owner told reporters, pausing between wiping down his storefront.

Despite the chaos, the Chinese meteorological agency warned that Noul is likely to weaken as it moves inland, though heavy rains could linger for several days, raising flood concerns in the Pearl River basin. Residents have been urged to stay vigilant, avoid low‑lying areas, and follow updates from local authorities.

So far, there are no confirmed reports of fatalities, but the sheer scale of the evacuation and the disruption to daily life underscore how powerful and unpredictable tropical cyclones have become in the region.