Chinese authorities have intensified emergency response efforts as Typhoon Noul, the 12th of the year, brings strong wind and heavy rain to south China's Guangdong Province, disrupts traffic and forces residents to evacuate.
The typhoon landed in Huidong, a coastal county in Huizhou City of Guangdong, at 03:50 on Sunday, and was downgraded to a tropical storm by Sunday afternoon.
As of 14:00 Sunday, more than 890,000 people have been relocated in Guangdong.
The storm disrupted air traffic across the province, with more than 800 flights canceled at airports in Huizhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities. Flights are gradually restored as the storm weakens.
Affected by the typhoon, temporary traffic control measures were implemented on 84 sections of highways in Guangdong. By noon, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, two important transportation passages spanning the Pearl River Estuary, had reopened to traffic.
High-speed and regular train services on the Beijing-Guangzhou and Hangzhou-Shenzhen lines, which had been suspended due to the typhoon, were expected to resume operation Sunday evening.
Local maritime department has taken steps to gradually resume navigation service for more than 600 vessels in the Pearl River Estuary that had previously sought shelter from the typhoon.
Power departments handled electric line failures and equipment flooding to ensure power supply.
In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), fallen trees reported at more than 110 locations have been largely cleared, rail services suspending due to the storm have basically resumed, and flight operation at the Hong Kong International Airport gradually resumed.
China's national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief on Sunday activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response for Guangdong Province due to the typhoon.
A working team has been dispatched to disaster-hit areas to assess the situation on the ground and guide and assist local authorities in relocating and resettling affected residents while ensuring their basic living needs are met.
The National Development and Reform Commission on Sunday allocated 100 million yuan (about 14.8 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to support post-disaster recovery work in Guangdong.
According to China's National Meteorological Center, affected by the typhoon, heavy to torrential rain is expected to hit Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan in south and east China from Sunday to Monday.
On Sunday, 25,000 pieces of disaster relief supplies were dispatched to Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces to support local relief efforts.
China steps up emergency response after Typhoon Noul makes landfall
