China’s National Meteorological Center (NMC) has downgraded Typhoon Noul to a severe tropical storm after it made landfall in Guangdong Province, but warned that the system continues to pose a significant threat with destructive winds and torrential rainfall across southern China.
In a yellow typhoon warning issued at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, the NMC said Noul, the 12th named typhoon of the year, had weakened from typhoon strength after moving inland.
As of 10:00 a.m., the storm’s centre was located in Huicheng District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, at latitude 23.1 degrees north and longitude 114.3 degrees east. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 25 metres per second (90 km/h) near its centre, equivalent to Force 10 on China’s wind scale, with a minimum central pressure of 985 hectopascals.
Forecasters expect Noul to continue moving in a north-northwest direction at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometres per hour, tracking across central Guangdong before entering southern Hunan in the early hours of Sunday, where it is forecast to weaken further.
Despite its weakening intensity, authorities warned that gale-force conditions will persist across large parts of southern China’s coastal waters and shoreline.
Between 2:00 p.m. Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday, winds of Force 6 to 8, with gusts reaching Force 9 to 10, are expected over the northern South China Sea, the southern Taiwan Strait, the southwestern East China Sea, and central and eastern coastal areas of Guangdong.
The NMC said coastal areas around Hong Kong and central Guangdong could experience stronger sustained winds of Force 9 to 10, with gusts reaching Force 11 to 12, posing risks to maritime activities, coastal infrastructure and transportation.
The storm is also expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall across several provinces.
The meteorological agency forecast heavy to torrential rain across most parts of Guangdong, southern Fujian, central and southern Jiangxi, southeastern Hunan and southern Taiwan between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.
Some locations are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall, particularly in central and eastern Guangdong, southern Jiangxi and southeastern Hunan.
Rainfall totals in the hardest-hit areas could reach 250 to 450 millimetres, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides, urban flooding and other geological disasters.
Authorities have urged residents in affected regions to closely monitor official weather updates, avoid unnecessary travel and take precautionary measures against flooding, strong winds and possible disruptions to transport and public services.
