Typhoon Doksuri strikes China after Philippines devastation

Typhoon Doksuri wreaks havoc in China on Friday Morning bringing heavy rains and strong winds causing power outages, following its devastation in the Philippines, where it left at least 13 people dead and 21 missing. 

Typhoon Doksuri with recorded wind speeds of up to 175 kms per hour (110 miles per hour) struck the city of Jinjiang in the Fujian Province of China, at 9:55 am. local time on Friday, bringing heavy rains and high winds as reported by China’s national news broadcaster, CCTV. 

Doksuri, which means “eagle,” is a name given to the typhoon by South Korea. In the Philippines, where a parallel typhoon naming system has been used for decades, Doksuri is known as “Egay” .

The typhoon carrying winds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane had previously hit the Philippines, where it caused widespread damage and dozens of people died. Heavy rain and strong winds have led to power outages, fires, and uprooted trees. The storm also forced factories and shopping malls to shut down.

On Friday morning in China, Doksuri had a maximum sustained wind speed of 109 miles per hour, according to the United States military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii. This would make it a Category 2 storm on the five-category scale used to measure hurricanes in the Atlantic. 

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) reported that hourly rainfall in Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Putian exceeded 50 mm (2.165 inches) due to Typhoon Doksuri. Analysts are monitoring the storm closely as it moves towards Anhui, an agricultural province that grows corn, rice, soybean, and cotton, for potential crop damage.

China’s CMA forecasts that Typhoon Doksuri will move towards the north causing extreme rainfall in 10 provinces of China’s Mainland. The typhoon is expected to continue moving in a north-westerly direction and weaken in intensity.

The coastal regions of Taiwan, Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong is expected to experience heavy rains until 8 am on Saturday. Thus, Local governments and transport authorities are advised to take necessary precautions, Xinhua reported.

The Chinese coastal cities are taking all the necessary precautions to keep people safe during the storm. They suspended buses, bullet trains, flights, and ferries, moved tourists to safety, and evacuated nearly 100,000 people in Quanzhou. Work, school, and outdoor activities were cancelled, and Xiamen ordered residents to shelter in place and keep their vehicles off the streets.

The national weather observatory renewed the most severe “red alert” in its four-tier system on Friday due to concerns about potential danger to residents and the destruction of property.  Pictures and Videos of strong winds pummeling residential tower blocks in Jinjiang are going viral on the Chinese Social media platform Weibo. 

Taiwan too got hit by the typhoon Doksuri. The southern regions of Taiwan, including Kaohsiung, have been hit hard, and businesses and schools are still closed. The weather bureau extended rain and wind advisories on Friday, with as much as 40 inches of rain falling in some areas overnight.

The typhoon level assigned to the storm in Taiwan is the second-strongest. Authorities had warned Public of extreme winds, landslides, and floods. 

The Taiwanese islands of Penghu and Kinmen issued a “hurricane-force-wind” alert, warning residents to brace for gusts of more than 155 kph (96 mph). Taiwan’s weather agency removed its highest rainfall warning on Friday morning, but heavy rains are still expected. Typhoon has halted Taiwan’s Railway services and International flights.

DAMAGE CAUSED IN PHILIPPINES BY THE TYPHOON

The Philippine disaster agency reported that Doksuri has caused a lot of damage. At least 20 people are still missing, and 12 people have been injured. More than 42,000 people had to move from their homes due to the storm. 

On Wednesday,  the storm knocked over trees and power pylons, which caused widespread electricity cuts, landslides, and floods.Typhoon has also caused severe Agricultural damages in the Philippines too.  

A ferry near Manila was overturned by the devastating typhoon on Thursday afternoon, killing at least 26 people. Passengers were panicked by the rough waters, rushed to one side of the vessel and overturned it. Forty people were rescued.

The Fatalities in the Philippines have risen to 13, and another 21 people are missing, including four coast guard rescuers. The national disaster agency reported this on Friday. 

Another weather disturbance, a tropical depression, was coming to the country’s south. Forecasters said that if it continues to gain strength, it could be classified as a typhoon in the next few days, The Agency Announced.