Hurricane Noul hits China with strong winds and heavy rain

Typhoon “Noul” struck southern China on Sunday, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain, which necessitated the launch of emergency rescue operations, according to what official media reported, making it the strongest to hit the country this year.
Before making landfall early Sunday morning, authorities evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and train services.
The hurricane also causes major disruptions to air traffic.
The eye of the hurricane made landfall at approximately 03:50 (19:50 GMT) near the city of Pinghai in Guangdong Province, about 80 kilometers northeast of Hong Kong, according to the public channel CCTV.

Wind speed

The wind speed near the eye of the hurricane when it reached land was approximately 162 kilometers per hour. CCTV said that this makes “Noul” the strongest hurricane to hit the country so far during the year 2026.
Before it intensified over the South China Sea on Saturday, the typhoon had left widespread destruction after it passed along the islands located in the far north of the Philippines.
The Philippine government disaster management agency announced on Sunday that three people had died, while another person was still missing.

Disaster risks

The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council indicated that more than 9,300 people were evacuated, and 235 homes were damaged.
On Sunday morning, southern China witnessed strong winds and heavy rain, while debris was scattered on the roads, according to surveillance camera footage.
China’s Guangdong authorities raised the province’s emergency and disaster response level to the third level of severity, then to the second level, during successive updates on Sunday morning.

Flight cancellation

At least 350 flights departing and arriving from Hong Kong Airport were canceled on Sunday, according to the airport’s website.
The city authorities also reported that 21 people were injured as a result of the hurricane, while 300 reports of fallen trees and eight reports of floods were recorded.
The Hong Kong Observatory announced that Typhoon Noul is moving steadily inland in Guangdong Province and gradually weakening, but strong winds are still affecting many parts of Hong Kong, with strong winds sometimes blowing in high areas.