ASIA-CLIMA/SAOLA (PHOTO, TV) – REUTERS Agency
HONG KONG, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Typhoon Saola made landfall in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong early on Saturday as violent winds battered nearby Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao, killing at least one person and trailing destruction. and flooding in many areas.
The Asian financial hub of Hong Kong and the populous neighboring province of Guangdong canceled hundreds of flights on Friday and shuttered businesses, schools and financial markets as Saola approached.
With winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour as a super typhoon, Saola is one of the strongest storms to threaten the province since 1949. It became a severe typhoon, according to Chinese authorities, when it made landfall in the city of Zhuhai, with strong winds. which slowed to about 160 km/h.
Railway operations in Guangzhou were able to gradually resume from 8:30 a.m. local time (00:30 GMT), according to the railway operator.
Despite the weakening, Saola continues to affect the region, according to Chinese authorities.
More than 300 people were stranded at Hong Kong’s airport after some 460 flights were cancelled, the Hong Kong Airports Authority said.
Flag carrier Cathay Pacific said flights would resume from 0400 GMT on Saturday, after having been suspended since Friday afternoon.
Downed trees were scattered along many roads, especially on the more exposed outlying islands. In the bustling Causeway Bay district, many building signs had been blown up.
(Reporting by Farah Master, Joyce Zhou and Tyrone Siu in Hong Kong; additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Spanish editing by Carlos Serrano)
Source: Ambito
