Tropical depression Ewiniar made landfall in Guangdong this morning at 6.25am, according to data from the Hong Kong Observatory.
The storm touched down in Xuwen county on the Leizhou Peninsula, the southernmost point on the Chinese mainland, which is separated from Hainan Island by the 33-kilometer-wide Qiongzhou Strait.
Ewiniar is expected to linger in South China for three days, according to China Weather Network News, and unleash up to 300 millimeters of rain. The tropical depression’s prolonged visit to Guangdong is being blamed on low pressure disturbances to the east of the Philippines.
Chief Forecaster Xu Yinglong from the Central Meteorological Observatory told China Weather Network News that Ewiniar will move slowly from the region because of “the possible occurrence of a ‘double typhoon’ in the future. Two tropical low pressure disturbances east of the Philippines will result in the fifth typhoon of the year.”
READ MORE: First Typhoon to Hit China in 2018 Triggers Alert in South China
The arrival of tropical depression Ewiniar has, predictably, caused some evacuations, cancelations and delays: ferry routes across the Qiongzhou Strait have been put on hold, thousands of fishing boats returned to port in Hong Kong and parents are being encouraged to monitor the weather situation closely to ensure a smooth gaokao examination period.
In Hong Kong, the Observatory has issued a No. 1 Signal and is encouraging residents to check their windows and doors, stay away from the shoreline and, for those in low lying areas, take precautions against flooding.
People living in the Pearl River Delta region can expect dreary, rainy weather and thunderstorms until at least Sunday, June 10.
[Cover image via Hong Kong Observatory]
0 User Comments