Typhoon Yagi disrupts traffic in south China

Typhoon Yagi, the 11th of the year, has disrupted traffic in south China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces as it made landfall in the two regions on Friday and traffic began reopening gradually on Saturday as its impact wanes.

Yagi made landfall in Hainan at 16:20 and in Guangdong at 22:20 on Friday.

The Ministry of Transport has elevated the emergency response to level I for Yagi.

As of 11:00 on Saturday, 12 road sections remained closed in Guangdong and Hainan, with 44 toll stations shut down in Guangdong.

On the rail front, China Railway Guangzhou Group resumed operations on the Guangzhou-Maoming section of the Shenzhen-Zhanjiang Railway at 10:00 Saturday.

However, as of Saturday noon, 41 trains on the Guangzhou-Maoming railway and all ferry services between Hainan and Guangdong remain suspended due to the typhoon's impact.

In maritime transport, Guangzhou Port resumed operations at 07:00 Saturday, and Gaolan Port in Guangdong's Zhuhai City reopened at 08:30.

The Pearl River Estuary and Yamen watercourse connecting the sea reopened at around 11:00, allowing previously sheltered vessels to set sail.

Passenger services, including Guangzhou's Pearl River cruises and ferry routes from Nansha District of Guangzhou to Hong Kong and Macao, resumed at 10:00, while ferry services from Zhuhai’s Wanzai Port to Macao restarted at 09:00.

Other routes and ports in Guangdong will gradually reopen as conditions improve.

The Hainan Provincial Disaster Relief Committee downgraded the emergency response from level I to level II at 08:30 Saturday.

With the diminishing impact of Yagi, three major airports on the island are progressively resuming operations.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport and Qionghai Boao International Airport restarted flights from 10:00, while Haikou Meilan International Airport canceled the flights before 15:00.

The National Development and Reform Commission has urgently allocated 200 million yuan (more than 28 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to support disaster recovery in Hainan and Guangdong.

The funding will focus on repairing damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, water projects and public facilities to help restore normalcy in the affected areas.

Typhoon Yagi disrupts traffic in south China

Truck drivers and their cargoes sought refuge in a Shanghai activity hub as Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest typhoon to hit the city in decades, made landfall on Monday morning, unleashing heavy rains and winds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour.

In the Pudong District, situated on the southeastern tip of Shanghai, the impact of Typhoon Bebinca was stark, with trees and road signs uprooted, construction sites disrupted, and bicycles scattered across the ground.

Shanghai is not prone to strong typhoons, but local authorities have made emergency plans.

In Lingang Special Area, an activity hub was transformed into a temporary shelter for over 130 truck drivers and their cargoes.

"With such strong winds, it's not safe to park my truck on the street. Trees could fall. Parking here is a safer choice. The service is good here. It's clean, and it also provides food. We can take a shower here," said Wang Shaodong, a truck driver from east China's Anhui Province.

"The Donghai Bridge has been closed, as the typhoon is approaching. That's why we came here. They provide us with bedding, and air conditioners were turned on. So we are staying here. There are also meals downstairs," said Gong Xiangge, a hazardous cargo driver from east China's Shandong Province.

"We call these truck drivers 'men living on wheels.' The 13th typhoon [of this year] brought gales, with maximum wind speed reaching 36.9 meters per second, so danger may come at any time. So staying on the side of the street is unsafe for both trucks and drivers," said Fan Jianrong, deputy director of Lingang Special Area Investment Holding Group.

Although traffic resumed on all roads and bridges across Shanghai starting from 20:00 on Monday, precautions are still in place as Typhoon Pulasan, the 14th of the year, has formed in the northeastern Pacific and could follow a similar path to Typhoon Bebinca.

The director of the center said that the shelter remains open to those in need, ensuring that assistance is readily available for individuals affected by the poor weather.

Truck drivers seek shelter as powerful typhoon hits Shanghai