More than 32 killed as typhoon Lekima makes landfall in East China
More than 32 people died and 16 missing after Typhoon Lekima made entry into Wenling City, in the Zhejiang Province of China.
The typhoon made the landfall at 1:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, i.e., August 10, 2019. The maximum recorded wind force was 187 km/hr. Maximum people were killed when typhoon caused a landslide in Yongjia County, which in turn blocked a river. The Linhai City in Zhejiang was completely submerged in water. As per data available with China’s news agency Xinhua, more than 5 million people living in Zhejiang were affected by the floods.
According to Provincial Flood Control Headquarters, Lekima damaged more than 1,73,000 hectares of crops and wrecked 34,000 houses. The typhoon destroyed 3,000 trees and disrupted 100 power lines. The financial loss has been in tune of U.S. $ 1.2 billion.
The administration has closed hundreds of ferries, cancelled 288 flights and suspended railway lines. The rescue team working in the region comprise of 1,000 members with 150 fire engines and 153 boats on call.
In total, over 1 million people have been evacuated across China. Lekima is expected to bring heavy rainfall in provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu & Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai. This is the 9th typhoon to hit China this year. It is the strongest storm China has witnessed in years.
National Meteorological Center of China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has mentioned that Lekima is now moving northwards and will make a second landfall along the coastline in Shandong, causing heavy rainfall. The National Meteorological Center has already issued a red alert asking schools and business to remain closed. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has told people in rural areas of 10 different Provinces to ensure sufficient food supplies before Lekima makes way into their region.
For the records, Lekima is the 4th typhoon to hit the Western Pacific Region this week. Last weekend, Typhoon Wipha brought severe windstorms and rain to China. Typhoon Francisco entered Japan on August 6, 2019 causing intense gales and rains. Slow but dangerous Typhoon Krosa is expected to hit Japan by the middle of next week.
Last time Asia witnessed such a super typhoon was in September 2018, when Super Typhoon Mangkhut wreaked havoc across China, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
