China evacuates over 340,000 ahead of Typhoon Noul landfall

More than 340,000 people have been evacuated from China's southern Guangdong province as Typhoon Noul bears down on the coast. Authorities have also suspended rail traffic and canceled classes, closed factories and offices, and restricted transport in 12 cities within the province, which has a population of over 128 million. Noul is forecast to make landfall between Shenzhen and Haifeng on the southern Chinese coast during the night into Sunday. Meteorologists predict wind gusts could exceed 150 kilometers per hour. Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces, raising concerns about potential flooding. In Hong Kong, authorities have issued a typhoon warning and opened 28 temporary shelters. Approximately 50 flights have been canceled, with over 200 others postponed. The situation at the airport will be reassessed on Sunday. Similar disruptions are affecting airports across China. This comes after recent extreme weather events in southern and central China caused significant damage and claimed 39 lives when Typhoon Maysak triggered devastating floods in Guangxi.