Typhoon Koinu forces Suspension of Schools and Public Transport

A man has his umbrella turned inside out as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued a No.9 alert as a stronger-than-expected Typhoon Koinu pummeled the city on October 8, 2023. Photo: VCG

Multiple cities in China’s coastal regions suspended operations on Sunday, including public transportation services, schools and tourist attractions, due to Typhoon Koinu, the 14th typhoon of 2023, to ensure residents’ safety and minimize potential risks. Meanwhile, residents were advised to take necessary precautions.

China’s national observatory reissued a yellow alert, the third highest in the country’s four-colored weather warning system, at 6 pm on Sunday. At 5 pm, Koinu was located in the northern part of the South China Sea, about 90 kilometers south of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), with the maximum wind speed near the typhoon’s center reaching 38 meters per second, said the National Meteorological Center.

It was expected that the typhoon will slowly move northward at a speed of about 5 kilometers per hour, and then approach to the western part of South China’s Guangdong Province to the eastern part of Hainan Province, with the intensity gradually weakening, according to the national observatory.

The impact of Koinu also led to the temporary closure of attractions and public roads in some regions. The Nansha Wetland scenic area in Guangzhou, Guangdong suspended operations at noon on Saturday.

Guangzhou’s Pazhou Ferry Terminal on Sunday continued suspension of ferry services. Hainan has suspended a portion of railway services from Monday to Wednesday. The Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal in HKSAR has also been closed temporarily due to the typhoon.

Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong, on Sunday suspended schools. HKSAR also announced on Sunday that all schools are suspended and that schools should implement contingency measures to ensure students’ safety.

The HKSAR replaced the No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal with the No.9 Increasing Gale or Storm Signal at 7 pm on Sunday.

HKSAR has so far opened 29 temporary shelters. As of 6 pm on Sunday, a total of six people had sought medical treatment at public hospitals. As of 6:40 pm, the city had received 11 reports of fallen trees, but no reports of landslide or flooding, according to a report released at 7:05 pm by the HKSAR government.

As of 3 pm on Sunday, a total of 520 flights had arrived at or left HKSAR successfully, while 90 flights were expected to be canceled and 130 delayed due to the typhoon, according to media reports.

China’s Macao Special Administrative Region also issued a No. 8 signal for Koinu on Sunday afternoon.

Due to the impact of the typhoon and in accordance with the assistance mechanism between HKSAR and Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Bay Bridge was been closed. After consultation between the two cities, customs clearance services at Shenzhen Bay Port was suspended until further notice, the Shenzhen municipal government port office announced on Sunday.

For an October typhoon, Koinu has landed slightly to the south. From 1949 to 2022, a total of 49 typhoons have made landings in the country in October, with the northernmost landing in East China’s Zhejiang Province and the southernmost in South China’s Hainan Province, according to Weather China on Saturday.

ARTICLE FROM: Global Times