Rain hits northern China as Typhoon Doksuri rolls inland
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Rescuers evacuate residents in a flooded area after Typhoon Doksuri landfall in Quanzhou, in China, on July 28, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING - Rain began to soak northern China on Saturday as Typhoon Doksuri – one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years
A broad area encompassing the capital faces medium to high risk of rainstorm disasters over the coming three days, China’s national forecaster said.
Cumulative rainfall of 100mm or more is forecast over 220,000 sq km, potentially affecting 130 million people.
“Doksuri’s intensity continues to weaken, but the impact is far from over,” the China Meteorological Administration said, warning the public to be vigilant and avoid high-risk areas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, where localised rainfall could reach 600mm.
At the weekend, small and medium-sized rivers in southern Beijing, central and western areas of Hebei, eastern parts of Shanxi and northern areas of Henan could swell above warning levels, while flash floods and geological hazards could occur around mountainous areas. The Beijing authorities suspended indoor and outdoor sports events and upgraded their flood control response.
Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to hit China in 2023 and the second strongest to hit the south-eastern province of Fujian since Typhoon Meranti in 2016.
It forced the closure of schools and businesses and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, state media said.
Moving north-west and deeper inland, the storm weakened into a tropical depression in Anhui province early on Saturday at winds of 30kmh, but as its wind speeds continued to ease off, the centre became harder to determine.
The central province of Henan and Shandong in the east will experience heavy rainfall, the forecaster said, warning of mountain torrents, geological disasters and waterlogging.
Doksuri made landfall on Friday, downing power lines and uprooting trees, affecting more than 724,600 people and causing over US$7.3 million (S$9.7 million) in direct economic losses, media reported. In Doksuri’s wake in coastal Fujian, social media posts showed emergency workers clearing fallen trees and landslides, and people wading in thigh-high flood waters.
Other damage reported around Fujian province include a billboard ripped off a hotel building by winds in Putian city, a large tree falling over a man who was later rescued and a garment factory in port city Quanzhou catching fire.
Fuzhou city suspended metro services on Saturday morning as subway stations remained waterlogged. The city’s observatory reported a record daily precipitation of 256.6mm.
Before hitting China, Doksuri roared through Taiwan and the northern Philippines, where rain and strong winds that led to a ferry capsizing, in which at least 25 people died. REUTERS
