South China Coast Braces for Super Typhoon

Thousands of fishing vessels return to ports and over 350000 people are evacuated from low-lying areas in southern China as Typhoon Megi nears. It’s expected to make landfall on south China coast on Saturday. Ports and oil terminals in Hong Kong and southern China are closed. It’s forcing tankers to anchor offshore to ride out one of the biggest typhoons to threaten the South China coast in years. At least 75000 fishing vessels returned to port. On the tropical resort island of Hainan, as many as 200-thousand people have been evacuated from low-lying areas. Another 150-thousand from the southeastern coastal province of Fujian have also been evacuated. Major shipping ports in southern China, including Shenzhen and Zhuhai (joo-hai), were closed on Thursday. These ports funnel a flood of goods worldwide from the manufacturing powerhouse of the Pearl River Delta, causing temporary disruptions to Christmas orders being shipped overseas. Marine authorities say the typhoon could generate a huge and destructive “50-year storm surge” along the China coastline. Typhoon Megi is set to make landfall on Saturday east of Hong Kong, one of the world’s most crowded cities and a key trade and finance hub. Meanwhile, five of Hong Kong’s main oil products terminals on Tsing Yi Island were closed ahead of the storm. Neighboring Taiwan warned of high winds and strong waves. Cyclonic storms, known as typhoons in Asia, usually threaten between May and September when seawaters are at their …
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