Typhoon ‘Podul’ reaches southern China… & thousands of residents evacuated

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Tropical Storm Podol battered southern China, bringing heavy rains to the provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi, and disrupting hospitals and government offices in Hong Kong.

The Asian financial hub issued its highest-level weather warning, “black,” and medical authorities announced that outpatient clinics across Hong Kong would close until the “black” warning was raised. Accident and emergency services remained open, however.

Meanwhile, Xinhua News Agency reported that about 15,000 people had been evacuated from seaside areas in southern China since Wednesday.

Typhoon Podol made landfall shortly after midnight on Thursday in Fujian and was classified as a tropical storm. It prompted authorities to issue warnings in Henan Province, home to several lakes and rivers that often burst their banks.

There were no initial reports of casualties or damage in southern China.

Source: saba.ye