Tapah Tropical Storm wreaks havoc in China as winds blow at 110 km, hundreds of flights cancelled, 60000 people evacuated

New Delhi: China has been hit by the tropical storm Tapah, due to which the government has issued an alert. The tropical storm made landfall on Monday, 08 September 2025, morning in the coastal area of Taishan city in Guangdong province, unleashing powerful winds and torrential rain. Tapah hit ​​​​Taishan city at around 8:50 am local time. As a result, maximum sustained winds near the city’s economic centre reached 108 kmph.

The Guangdong Meteorological Bureau has issued a yellow alert and forecast thunderstorms and gale-force winds.

Hong Kong issues alert

Hong Kong cancelled hundreds of flights, and travellers were stranded at the airport awaiting information on when flights would continue. Macao also ordered the closure of its schools, public transport and taxis and reported disruptions to flights.

At the same time, the Hong Kong Observatory had issued an alert regarding this storm on Sunday itself. The observatory had issued signal number eight for storm alert on Sunday night. The observatory had said in the alert that at 9 am, continuous winds were blowing at a speed of about 68 miles (110 km) per hour near the centre of Tapah.

Schools, colleges closed, flights affected

The most affected by the storm is Guangdong province in southern China, where life has been disrupted. Many schools and colleges have been closed. Thousands of people have been shifted to safer places.

According to the official news agency Xinhua, the economic centre of Guangdong province near Hong Kong had stopped many rail and ferry services before the storm. By Sunday afternoon, about 60,000 people were evacuated from the entire region and sent to safer places. About 100 flights were cancelled, due to which passengers also had to face a lot of trouble. During this time, many passengers were seen spending the night on chairs at the airport.

Some areas report flooding

A flight of HK Express coming from Beijing slipped off the runway during landing, although no passenger was injured in this accident. Three people were injured due to the storm and were admitted to the hospital for treatment. The government received more than 100 reports of fallen trees and flooding in Guangdong, forcing hundreds of people to take shelter in temporary centres. Some parts of Macau also reported minor flooding.

HIGHLIGHTS

• China has been hit by the tropical storm Tapah.
• The tropical storm made landfall on Monday morning in the coastal area of Taishan city.
• The Guangdong Meteorological Bureau has issued a yellow alert and forecast thunderstorms and gale-force winds.
• The Hong Kong Observatory had issued an alert regarding this storm on Sunday itself.

The most affected by the storm is Guangdong province in southern China, where life has been disrupted. Many schools and colleges have been closed. Thousands of people have been shifted to safer places. The economic centre of Guangdong province had stopped many rail and ferry services before the storm.