Typhoon Noul makes landfall in China, over 340,000 evacuated and 410 flights cancelled

Passersby walk in Hong Kong's Mong Kok district under heavy rain and wind ahead of Typhoon Noul on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Ho-him) Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China early Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Guangdong province while disrupting air and rail services in neighbouring Hong Kong. China’s National Meteorological Centre (NMC) issued a red alert, the highest level in the country’s four-tier typhoon warning system, as the storm approached the coast.Late Saturday night, the centre of the typhoon was about 100 km southeast of Huidong County in Guangdong’s Huizhou City, packing maximum sustained winds of Force 14, according to the NMC. The weather agency said Noul was moving northwest at around 20 kmph and was expected to continue strengthening before landfall. It is forecast to shift to a north-northwestward path after moving inland and gradually weaken, state-run Xinhua reported. As a precaution, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters raised Guangdong’s emergency response for floods and typhoons to Level III, while activating a Level IV flood emergency response in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces. China follows a four-tier, colour-coded typhoon warning system, with red representing the highest level of alert, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The storm is expected to affect large parts of eastern, central and southern China, including Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi.Story continues below this ad Hong Kong disruptions Hong Kong also braced for severe weather as Noul approached. Authorities raised the city’s storm warning to Typhoon Signal No. 9 early Sunday after the system passed within 80 km of the city, indicating a very serious threat. More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled, while the Home Affairs Department opened 28 temporary shelters for residents. The Hong Kong Observatory later said the typhoon was weakening as it moved inland but warned of intense rainfall and the risk of flash floods. It said rainfall exceeding 30 mm per hour had already been recorded and was expected to continue. Airport authorities said flight operations are expected to gradually resume after 6 pm on Sunday.Story continues below this ad What is Typhoon Noul? Noul, meaning “the glow of sunrise or sunset” in Korean, is the 12th typhoon to form in the Pacific this year and the third to strike China this month. Authorities said the storm prompted the evacuation of more than 340,000 people from Guangdong province ahead of landfall.