Typhoon Noul hits Guangdong, forcing 3.4 lakh evacuations and flight chaos

Hongkong,UPDATED: Jul 26, 2026 05:32 IST

Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China early on Sunday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of Guangdong and Hong Kong over the weekend. The storm triggered large-scale evacuations in Guangdong, disrupted transport services and led to flight cancellations in Hong Kong.

Authorities kept the region on high alert as Noul moved inland and weakened gradually. Heavy rain and strong winds were also expected in parts of southern Guangdong and south-eastern Fujian, while the typhoon also brought rainfall to parts of southern and eastern Taiwan.

China's national weather centre said Noul made landfall along the coast of Huidong county in Huizhou city, Guangdong province, at about 3.50 am local time on Sunday. Hong Kong Observatory said the typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 145 kmph near its centre and was moving into inland Guangdong while weakening progressively.

State broadcaster CCTV said more than 3,40,000 people had been relocated to safety in Guangdong by Saturday afternoon. China News Service reported that train services in the province were cancelled for Sunday.

Hong Kong airport's website showed that more than 150 flights were cancelled across Saturday and Sunday. In Hong Kong, part of a large scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed on Saturday afternoon as Noul approached, local police said. Initial reports indicated that there were no injuries.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said Noul was bringing rainfall to parts of southern and eastern Taiwan. It said the storm was passing over waters south of Taiwan and was moving away from the island on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Typhoon Bavi brought strong winds and rain to eastern China, leading to the evacuation of more than 2 million people after making landfall on July 11. Another typhoon, Maysak, made landfall in southern China on July 3. Overall, Typhoon Noul brought heavy rain and strong winds to southern China and nearby areas, forcing evacuations, halting some transport services and disrupting flights as it moved inland through Guangdong.

With PTI Inputs

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