Relief operations in full swing after super Typhoon Yagi wreaks havoc in China's Hainan

Relief operations are in full swing in China's Hainan Province after Super Typhoon Yagi, the 11th typhoon of this year, raged through the island with strong winds and torrential rains on Friday.

The typhoon has wreaked havoc in the affected areas, knocking out power, uprooting trees, blowing away roofs of many houses and buildings, damaging crops and causing widespread disruption to telecommunication and transportation.

To grapple with telecommunication breakdown in the disaster-stricken areas, local authorities have deployed satellite emergency communication vehicles and portable satellite communication devices to provide emergency communication services for townships that were temporarily inaccessible by vehicles following the typhoon.

So far more than 10,000 telecommunication base stations have resumed operation, according to local authorities.

"We will strengthen monitoring of communication network operation and response swiftly to prevent the scale of communication breakdown from further expanding. We will step up support for areas hit hard by the typhoon, especially the places such as Haikou, Wenchuang, Qionghai, Danzhou to ensure that communication services in these places can be restored as soon as possible, " said Zhao Yuedong, vice director of the provincial communication management bureau.

Relief work for gradually resuming public transportation services is also underway.

In Haikou, local transportation department deployed a batch of buses on Saturday morning for a trial run to assess the adequacy of road conditions for the full resumption of bus service.

So far, all the 90 blocked roads in Hainan have been cleaned up. National and provincial trunk roads in the province have opened to traffic with other roads damaged by the typhoon under emergency repairs.

Passenger transportation in Sanya, Baoting and Lingshui have resumed, while other cities and counties in the province are gathering pace to resume road passenger transportation. The Sanya Phoenix International Airport and Qionghai Boao International Airport have gradually resumed flights from 10:00 Sunday.

Relief operations in full swing after super Typhoon Yagi wreaks havoc in China's Hainan

Relief operations in full swing after super Typhoon Yagi wreaks havoc in China's Hainan

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