Thai authorities have issued a warning for citizens in Vietnam and China to exercise caution as Typhoon Yagi impacts northern and central Vietnam, as well as Guangdong and Hainan provinces in China. Travelers are advised to stay informed of local conditions and strictly follow safety guidelines.
Thai nationals in need of assistance can contact the Embassy of Thailand in Hanoi at 090-454-4800 or 090-611-8188 and the Consulate-General in Guangzhou at (86) 188-1938-6190 or (86) 188-1938-6191.
Super Typhoon Yagi brought powerful gales and heavy rain to southern China on Friday (Sep 6), causing widespread disruption as schools closed for a second day and flights were canceled. The storm, one of the strongest to hit Asia this year, is set to make landfall along Hainan’s tropical coast, impacting the region from Wenchang in Hainan to Leizhou in Guangdong.
Yagi, with maximum sustained winds of 245 kilometers per hour near its center, is the second most powerful tropical cyclone globally in 2024, following Hurricane Beryl in the Atlantic. The typhoon has more than doubled in strength since hitting the northern Philippines earlier in the week. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning swept across southern China, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay away from coastal areas.
Transport links have been severely affected, with flights grounded across Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The main bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai has also been closed. In Hong Kong, the stock exchange was shut, schools remained closed, and public transport was reduced due to the typhoon signal warning.
China’s government has deployed task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to prepare for floods and typhoons. Yagi’s projected landfall in Hainan is rare, with most typhoons that reach the island being much weaker. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, several airports will be closed over the weekend as the storm continues to affect the region. Scientists attribute the increasing strength of typhoons to warming oceans driven by climate change. (NNT)
