According to the latest storm news, Typhoon Podul has brought rain to southern China, where it just suffered a record rain last week. As a result, a series of schools, hospitals, and courts have to close, air and railway traffic is paralyzed, and many areas are deeply submerged in water.
Before making landfall in Fujian province at 0:30 on August 14, Podul swept through Taiwan (China) with winds of up to 191 km/h, injuring 143 people and leaving one missing.
At 2:00 p.m. on August 14, Typhoon Podul weakened into a tropical depression, at 24.7 degrees north latitude, 113.6 degrees east longitude, with winds of 55 km/h, gusting to 90 km/h. The tropical depression is moving westward at 25 km/h.
When it made landfall, although the storm had weakened, it still brought heavy rains, enough to sink many routes and paralyze the operations of the entire southern coastal area of China.
The Hong Kong government (China) issued a black rain warning - the highest level - causing the trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai to be canceled. Outpatient clinics are closed until the afternoon, schools are closed all day, and wetland Park Eco Park is also temporarily closed to visitors.
Airports in Hong Kong (China) and many neighboring localities recorded a cancellation rate of about 20% for the morning of August 14. Tuyen Chau in Fujian province - a textile and footwear export center - had more than 1/3 of flights canceled, causing concerns for the global supply chain.
Typhoon Podul brought sweeping rain through the provinces of Quang Dong, Hunan, and Jiangxi with rainfall exceeding 70 mm/h. Mai Chau City (Quang Dong) must close all expressways. The high-speed railway line connecting Shenzhen - Hangzhou, over 1,200km long, has been suspended, seriously affecting trade between major technology centers.
In Quang Chau, in just the first 5 days of August, there were heavy rain of up to 622mm - nearly 3 times the average monthly, killing 7 people and forcing 75,000 people to evacuate.
In Hong Kong (China) on August 5, the heaviest rainfall in August since 1884 was recorded.
Typhoon Podul not only caused immediate damage but also warned about the increasingly severe impact of climate change. According to analysts, China's southern coast will be hit by more strong typhoons, moving more slowly, causing disruptions from production, transportation to agriculture.
On August 14, the Chinese government announced a 430 million yuan ($60 million) disaster relief package, bringing the total support from April to at least 5.8 billion yuan ($808 million). However, economic losses caused by extreme weather each year could reach tens of billions of USD.
