South China Sea Typhoon Kajiki is intensifying over the South China Sea, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to coastal regions of Vietnam and China. Millions of residents are being evacuated to safety, while flights, shipping routes, and businesses have been suspended, according to The Independent.
Vietnam’s weather agency reported that as of Sunday morning, the storm was about 500 kilometers off the country’s central coast, with wind speeds of nearly 149 km/h, expected to strengthen to 170 km/h upon landfall. Authorities have prepared to evacuate some 586,000 people from Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang provinces. Hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed, while around 60,000 boats and nearly 249,000 fishermen have been placed on high alert. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered urgent emergency measures.
China’s Hainan Island is also feeling the storm’s impact. In the resort city of Sanya, shopping malls, restaurants, and public transport have been shut down, while three ports in the provincial capital Haikou have been closed. The country’s meteorological center warned that rainfall in Hainan could reach up to 400 millimeters.
Thailand has also issued weather alerts, warning of heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides in the northeast from August 24 to 27. Waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand could reach heights of up to three meters.
Kajiki is the fifth tropical storm to hit the South China Sea this year. Vietnamese authorities fear it could be as destructive as last year’s Typhoon Yagi, which killed nearly 300 people and caused an estimated $330 million in damages.