Typhoon saola makes landfall in Guangdong after slamming Hong Kong and Macau
Typhoon Saola made landfall in China's southern province of Guangdong early on Saturday, following its impact on Hong Kong and Macau, where it brought violent winds, claimed at least one life, and left a trail of destruction and flooding.
Hong Kong, a major Asian financial hub, and Guangdong, China's populous neighboring province, had both canceled hundreds of flights on Friday. They also closed businesses, schools, and financial markets as Saola approached.
As a super typhoon with winds exceeding 200 kph (125 mph), Saola was one of the most powerful storms to threaten Guangdong since 1949. It was classified as a severe typhoon by Chinese authorities as it made landfall in Zhuhai city, with its winds slowing to around 160 kph.
Railway operations in Guangdong gradually resumed at 8:30 a.m. (0030 GMT), according to the railway operator.
Despite its weakening, Saola continued to impact the region, Chinese authorities reported.
More than 300 people were stranded at Hong Kong's airport due to the cancellation of approximately 460 flights, as confirmed by the city's Airport Authority.
Flagship carrier Cathay Pacific (0293.HK) announced the resumption of flights from noon (0400 GMT) on Saturday after suspending operations since Friday afternoon.
Hong Kong raised its highest hurricane storm signal, level 10, on Friday night, subsequently reducing it to level 8 on Saturday morning. The city's observatory stated that the warning would remain in effect until 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) as heavy rainfall and flooding still affected the territory.
