Typhoon Megi heads towards China

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Satellite image of Typhoon Megi
Image: NASA.

After devastating the Philippines, Typhoon Megi is heading towards Mainland China and is expected to make landfall on Saturday. The typhoon regained its Super Typhoon status and is expected to make landfall east of Hong Kong and currently has winds of 185 kph (115 mph) with wind gusts up to 235 kph (145 mph).

Projected path of Megi
Image: Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Hong Kong hoisted the lowest typhoon alert level and winds in the area are expected to gradually strengthen in the coming days. The China oceanic administration has advised that wave heights of 5–7 meters (16–23 feet) are possible. The ministry of civil affairs and the state disaster relief commission have issued a national disaster warning.

Officials in the resort island of Hainan have suspended train services in and out of the island and brought 2500 fishing boats back to the harbor. Billboards in Sanya are being removed so that there is a lesser threat of danger to pedestrians. In the eastern South China sea oil platforms were evacuated and Asia's largest oil refiner, Sinopec Corp, has suspended some oil shipments to Hong Kong.


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