Typhoon Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year for China, forced the suspension of 144 ferry routes east of Zhuhai City and triggered Guangdong Province's top emergency response Saturday as authorities rushed to evacuate vessels and step up flood and typhoon precautions.
By noon on Saturday, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration had dispatched 265 patrol vessel trips to guide ships to safe waters, with 5,109 vessels along the provincial coast redirected to safe harbors in western Guangdong, Hainan, and northern Fujian, authorities said.
To guard against Typhoon Noul, the "Mini Three Links" ferry service, a major cross-Strait passenger route connecting Xiamen, Fujian Province and Kinmen, Taiwan, was also suspended on Saturday, with services expected to resume depending on weather conditions. All other Xiamen ferry routes were halted, except for the resident route connecting Gulangyu Piano Pier and the Ferry Terminal, which runs on an irregular basis.
Meteorological forecasts indicate Typhoon Noul will make landfall along the coast between Hong Kong and Lufeng in Guangdong from Saturday night to Sunday morning. Over the next three days, heavy rain and high winds are expected to intensify across eastern and central Guangdong and western Fujian, raising the risk of flooding, landslides, and urban waterlogging.
At 09:00 on Saturday, the Pearl River flood control and drought relief headquarters upgraded its flood and typhoon emergency response from Level IV to Level III. Simultaneously, the Pearl River Water Resources Commission elevated its flood defense emergency response from Level IV to Level III. The Commission has deployed a working group to the front lines in Guangdong to assist and guide efforts related to typhoon, rainstorm, and flood control, while also dispatching four expert teams to conduct risk inspections of reservoirs.
Typhoon Noul suspends ferry routes in south China's Guangdong, Fujian
