Mangkhut drifts into China as HK lowers warnings

People hold an umbrella as they brave the wind during a No. 10 Hurricane Signal raised for Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong

Typhoon Mangkhut is losing power after making landfall in China and leaving Hong Kong with roads blocked, buildings damaged and low-lying areas flooded. The death toll in the Philippines rose to more than 50.

More than 2.45 million people have been relocated and over 48,000 fishing boats returned to ports in China’s Guangdong province as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, when Mangkhut made landfall, according to Xinhua News Agency. A 40,000-ton-category vessel with 73 people on board was blown off its anchoring at Huizhou port this morning, China’s Central Television reported.

Mangkhut, which is set to weaken as it passes over inland areas of South China, brought heavy winds and rains to Hong Kong, blowing out apartment building windows and toppling scores of trees.

The Hong Kong Observatory reported Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979, packing maximum sustained gusts of 195 kilometers per hour (121 mph).

About 213 people had sought medical treatment in the city’s hospitals. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte appeared on television to pledge aid to storm-hit regions.

Images of a residential apartment and an office building with their windows blown out circulated on social media in Hong Kong. A crane fell off a building at a construction site, the Mingpao newspaper reported. Fallen trees forced closures of roads and a tunnel. The government said 1,219 people have sought sanctuary in 48 temporary shelters set up in various districts. Residents in the flood- prone Tai O village and Lei Yue Mun were evacuated as sea levels continued to rise.

Almost 900 flights were canceled in Hong Kong on Sunday. In China, all flights at Guangzhou International Airport were scrapped through yesterday morning.

Cathay Pacific Airways said it now expects a gradual return to scheduled flight operations, but there’ll still be delays and some cancellations.

Electricity to 7,000 customers were disrupted in several districts across the city, according to power utility CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd. In China, power disruptions affected 168,700 users in Guangdong, with 81,900 people still without normal service, Xinhua reported.

Schools in Hong Kong will be closed for a second day today, while some of the city’s bus and railway services remain suspended. The government aims to complete its clean up of major roads by 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday, said the city’s commissioner for transport during a briefing yesterday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam urged companies to show understanding and adopt a flexible approach to staff who have difficulties getting back to work. Hong Kong Disneyland and Hong Kong Ocean Park were shut for clean-up.

Hong Kong Airport is trying to get business back to normal. More than 1,400 flights had been canceled across the region, according to Flight Aware. Cathay Pacific Airways said it expects a gradual return to scheduled operations, but there will be continued delays and some cancellations.

On Saturday, the typhoon tore across the Philippines’ northern island, killing more than 50 people, many of them in landslides, according to the government. An estimated 5.7 million people were affected by the storm.

President Rodrigo Duterte appeared at a televised Cabinet meeting following an aerial inspection of the affected areas and pledged funds following an for the recovery. Food supply is sufficient and prices are stable even in affected areas, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the meeting.

Availability of cheap rice should be ensured to avoid price spikes, Lopez said, adding that supermarkets have also agreed to sell grain from the government’s food agency.

“Agriculture is badly hit,” Francis Tolentino, an adviser to Duterte, said earlier by phone.

Impacts of the storm were felt as far away as Taiwan, where high waves caused one death, according to the island’s government. Heavy rains and winds knocked out power for a short period in more than 12,000 homes. MDT/Agencies