340,000 people evacuated in southern China as Typhoon Noul approaches

The Chinese authorities evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended businesses and railway services in the south of the country as Typhoon Noul approached, accompanied by heavy rains and violent winds, according to official media.
The hurricane is expected to hit the coastal areas extending from Shenzhen and Haifeng in Guangdong Province on Sunday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center of China.
The Chinese Meteorological Agency issued a red warning alert for the typhoon, the highest level in its approved four-level warning system.
She pointed out that parts of Guangdong Province and the neighboring Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces will witness heavy rains starting Saturday evening.
The maximum wind speed associated with the hurricane is expected to reach between 151 and 173 kilometers per hour when it reaches land.
More than 340,000 people were evacuated in Guangdong, according to the new Chinese news agency, Xinhua.
The agency reported that 12 cities in the province, including Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shantou, have completely or partially suspended study, work, production, commercial activities, and transportation.
On Saturday evening, Hong Kong issued the third highest hurricane warning level, while local authorities announced the opening of 28 shelter centers across the city.
The Hong Kong Observatory said it may raise the warning level to the second highest on Sunday morning.
He added, “It is expected that the strength of local winds will increase significantly during the night.”