Typhoon Koinu Heads for Chinese Resort Island, Puts Southern China on High Alert for Heavy Rains and Protracted Storms
Typhoon Koinu, which wreaked havoc in Taiwan, is now approaching China's Hainan Island. As it edges closer, Chinese authorities are on high alert for potential heavy rainfall and are closely monitoring its path. Despite its continued strength, the typhoon is expected to weaken gradually as it moves south along the coast of Guangdong. Hong Kong is also on high alert, suspending various operations in preparation for the storm.
Typhoon Koinu, which recently battered Taiwan with powerful winds and heavy rains, is now headed towards the Chinese resort island of Hainan. Despite its intensity remaining nearly unchanged, Koinu has yet to make landfall on the Chinese coast and is currently located about 455 km northeast of the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong. The typhoon, still packing gale-force winds of up to 144 kph, is expected to gradually weaken as it moves south along the coast of Guangdong at a pace of 5 to 10 kph.
Category 1 Typhoon #Koinu is crawling (at 3 mph) just off #HongKong’s doorstep, with core winds of 80 mph supported by a steadily rising pressure of 979 mb. This compact storm has been slinging rainbands over the city for several hours now, but hopefully she trips just short of… pic.twitter.com/ddMMMexZnD
— Backpirch Weather (@BackpirchCrew) October 8, 2023
Chinese authorities are on high alert as the storm lingers over the warm waters and potentially causes heavy rainfall. Last week, Koinu claimed one life and injured almost 400 people in Taiwan. Although unlikely to travel inland towards populous Chinese cities, the slow movement of the typhoon raises the potential for prolonged storm clouds and very heavy rainfall in southern China. Hong Kong, which was previously hit by Typhoon Saola, is also on high alert for Koinu, with schools, daycare centers, and transportation services suspending operations for the day.