Labeled as the strongest weather disturbance to hit the Asia Pacific this year, Typhoon Mangkhut continues its destructive march towards China, leaving in its wake hundreds of dead and billions of damage in both agriculture and infrastructure. Typhoon Mangkhut passed by Hong Kong on its way towards the southern part of China.
According to a recent report from the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Observatory has officially tagged Typhoon Mangkhut as the most intense storm to hit the region since government agencies started recording such events. The typhoon recorded sustained winds of up to 250km/h, enough to uproot close to 1,500 trees and left thousands of broken windows all over the city.
Before entering the Chinese area of responsibility, Typhoon Mangkhut also left a trail of destruction when it landed on the northern region of the Philippines. The actual damage left by the typhoon is still unaccounted for since government services are still unable to reach some of the worst-hit areas.
Reports from the Philippines have already confirmed at least 65 people dead, mostly caused by a landslide. A separate report confirmed 43 others are missing due to landslides and a collapsed building. As of this writing, the Associated Press has confirmed at least four dead in China due to Typhoon Mangkhut.
During its devastating march in the Philippines, the typhoon crossed the archipelago's northern region, a region known for its rich agricultural lands. The Philippine government has yet to assess the typhoon's damage to its agricultural sector since some parts of the region are still inaccessible. Nevertheless, local government officials are deeply concerned about the effect of Typhoon Mangkhut in the local agriculture industry.
The Hong Kong Observatory graded Typhoon Mangkhut with a rare signal No. 10 rating, a rating which requires the typhoon to stay in play for at least 10 hours. Additionally, the weather observatory said that it is the most powerful weather disturbance to hit the region since it began storing records in 1946.
As Typhoon Mangkhut continues its path towards China, more than 2.4 million people were evacuated in the country's southern province of Guangdong. It is part of the preparation in order to prevent, or at least, mitigate the possible human toll of the typhoon.
Typhoon Mangkhut made its landfall at 5:00 p.m. Sunday near the Chinese city of Taishan. The typhoon lost some of its power and is estimated to have maximum sustained winds of 100mph.
