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Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China early Sunday, battering the coast with powerful winds and heavy rain.
According to Chinese state media, the typhoon came ashore near the town of Pinghai, about 80 kilometres northeast of Hong Kong, at around 3:50 a.m. local time, packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometres per hour.
The storm prompted widespread disruption, with authorities evacuating more than 340,000 people ahead of its arrival and suspending work, rail services and other transport operations. Hundreds of flights were also cancelled.
State broadcaster CCTV said Noul was the most powerful typhoon to hit China so far in 2026.
Television footage showed strong winds toppling small structures, uprooting trees and scattering debris across roads in parts of Guangdong.
Provincial authorities raised their disaster relief response twice on Sunday, eventually activating the second-highest emergency level as the storm moved inland.
In neighbouring Hong Kong, more than 350 arriving and departing flights were cancelled in Sunday. The Hong Kong Observatory lowered the city’s warning from Signal No. 9 to Signal No. 8 after the typhoon weakened but warned that gale-force winds were still affecting parts of the territory.
“Noul is moving steadily into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, but gales are still affecting many places over Hong Kong, with occasional storm force winds over high ground,” the Hong Kong Observatory said.
The Hong Kong government said more than 100 reports of fallen trees had been received, while nine people sustained injuries during the storm.
Before reaching China, Noul struck the northern Philippines, where authorities on Sunday said three people were killed and another remained missing.
The Philippine disaster agency said more than 9,300 residents were evacuated and 235 homes were damaged by the typhoon.
Chinese authorities said Noul is expected to continue weakening as it moves inland but warned that heavy rainfall could affect Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei provinces before extending as far north as Henan and Shandong through Tuesday.
The National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 100 million yuan (about $14.8 million) to support post-storm recovery efforts in Guangdong, including the repair of roads and other damaged infrastructure.
