China braces for heavy rain as tropical storm Noul edges closer

HONG KONG - China on Friday warned of heavy rain and severe flood risks as the third tropical cyclone this month tracked closer to the country's southern coast, where it is expected to intensify over the weekend.

As of Friday morning, Noul (Kiyapo) was northeast of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, moving west-northwest at around 25 to 30 km/h. (16 to 19 mph). The tropical storm is forecast to move within 800 km (497 miles) of Hong Kong by Friday evening, according to the city’s observatory.

The observatory said it would raise the city's lowest typhoon signal, 1, by 8.40 p.m. (12:40 GMT) local time on Friday, and assess the need to raise the warning as Noul drew nearer.

Local winds are expected to strengthen gradually across southern coastal areas, with squally showers intensifying through Saturday.

Mainland Chinese weather authorities project Noul will make landfall along the southern coast between Zhuhai in Guangdong province and Zhangpu in Fujian province between Saturday night and early Sunday morning before moving inland and gradually weakening.

Cumulative rainfall across eastern Guangdong and southern Fujian could reach 500 to 600mm (20 to 24 inches) in localized areas, meteorologists said.

Guangdong and Fujian are among China's wettest provinces, each averaging roughly 2,000mm of rain every year.

Noul arrives after torrential downpours battered large parts of the country. In southwestern China, rescue teams are still searching for more than 50 people who went missing following a deadly landslide in Chongqing municipality.

China is entering its peak flood control window — known as Qixia Bashang — from mid-July to mid-August. Weather experts warn extreme rainfall will increase in frequency and intensity over the coming weeks, with much of northern China set to experience 20% to 50% more rain than usual.

Guangdong province will begin suspending rail services on Saturday, with all high-speed and regular trains expected to stop on Sunday, authorities said.

In Zhuhai, a coastal city to Hong Kong's west, all ferry services were set to be suspended on Saturday and Sunday while all coastal scenic areas would be closed to visitors, according to a local government notice.

The name Noul was contributed by North Korea and refers to the glow of sunrise or sunset in Korean. — Reuters