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Asia Minute: Storm Batters Southern China

Wikipedia Commons
Wikipedia Commons

Tropical Storm Howard may bring some rain to the islands this weekend, but it’s not expected to cause any major problems or heavy flooding. It’s a different story elsewhere in the Pacific—where forecasters are watching the impact of the strongest typhoon to hit the region so far this season. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Typhoon Nida rattled through Hong Kong early Tuesday.  More than 150 flights were cancelled…others delayed, the stock exchange was shut down, and most local businesses simply pulled down their steel shutters until the storm passed.

The Hong Kong Observatory reported winds of up to 90 miles an hour…and issued a number 8 warning….on a scale of ten.  The South China Morning Post says authorities received reports of more than 400 fallen trees and one landslide….all in all, it could have been a lot worse for Hong Kong’s first major typhoon of the season.  The storm then rumbled along a track to the southeast part of mainland China.

The state owned China News service called the storm system the strongest to hit the Pearl River Delta in 30 years.  That area makes up a crucial part of Chinese manufacturing—including the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Nida brought heavy rains and high winds across a wide path in Asia for several days—from the Philippines and Taiwan over the weekend to northern Vietnam by early Wednesday.  Forecasters say the threat of heavy flooding will remain for several days….especially in China’s Guangdong Province.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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