Super Typhoon Yagi: more than 410,000 people relocated as storm lands in southern China
Yagi predicted to move northwest, crossing Haikou, Chengmai and Lingao before moving to the sea by Saturday morning
It landed at 4.20pm on Friday in Wenchang, Hainan province, after being closely monitored for days, state broadcaster CCTV reported, with the maximum sustained winds near the centre reaching 223km/h (138 miles per hour).
A video from the Hainan Broadcasting Group showed a water heater falling from a building, and trees bending in the wind, as the outskirts of the typhoon reached the island.
The typhoon is predicted to continue moving northwest, crossing Haikou, Chengmai and Lingao before moving to the sea between midnight and Saturday morning.
Hainan had raised its marine disaster emergency response to level 1, the highest in a four-tier warning system, and forecast that the island’s northern coast might see a 1.5-2.3 metre (4.9-7.5 feet) storm surge from Friday to noon on Saturday. CCTV said the water level in several cities was predicted to surpass the warning level.
In preparation for the storm, the China Meteorological Administration issued a typhoon red alert, the highest in its four-tier warning system, while also warning of strong wind – potentially reaching as high as 17, the highest level on the Beaufort scale – and heavy rain.
In the face of Yagi, classes were cancelled and all outside parks closed in Hainan and Guangdong provinces.
