Beijing, July 17 (Online Desk): Hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated in southern China and Vietnam on Monday, and dozens of flights have been canceled as Typhoon Talim approaches. Typhoon Talim struck along the southern coast from Guangdong to Hainan province on Monday night, causing landslides, the China Meteorological Administration said. Heavy rain is predicted there. News from AFP.
The storm is forecast to intensify into a severe typhoon. Authorities have issued an orange alert (the second highest alert) there. Vietnamese authorities said they were preparing to evacuate around 30,000 people from the worst-hit areas of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces starting Monday afternoon. The country’s top disaster management committee said in an online statement, “This could be one of the worst storms to hit the Gulf of Tonkin in recent years.” Tourists were advised to leave remote islands and airlines rescheduled their services to avoid the storm. Prime Minister Pham Min Chin warned of possible flooding late Sunday night and ordered the disaster response team to take up “immediate rescue and relief work”. The Hong Kong Observatory has warned of possible high tides and flooding in low-lying areas, and most ferries and city bus services have been suspended due to the storm. Hong Kong airport authorities said more than 1,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations and delays.
Both Milan International Airport and Kyonghai Boao Airport on Hainan Island have canceled all flights, state media said. Zhuhai Jinwan Airport in Guangdong, near Macau, canceled more than 80 flights, local media reported.
