Typhoon Kajiki downs trees, drenches China's Hainan ahead of Vietnam landfall

Typhoon Kajiki downed trees and disrupted power in China’s Hainan island on Monday (25 August), as strong winds and heavy rain swept through the southern province, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Footage aired by CCTV showed emergency crews clearing debris from downed trees and reinforcing power lines in the resort city of Sanya.

Renowned for seafront resorts and sandy beaches, authorities in Sanya had closed tourist attractions, shuttered businesses and suspended public transport.

Hainan downgraded its emergency response from level 1, the highest level, to level 3 on Monday morning, CCTV reported, as the storm moved toward Vietnam, where it is expected to make landfall on Monday afternoon.

Vietnam has shut airports, closed schools, and initiated mass evacuations of more than 586,000 people from central provinces, as it prepares for the most powerful storm so far this year.

Seven coastal provinces in Vietnam banned boats from leaving shore early on Sunday, Tien Phong newspaper reported.

Vietnam Airlines cancelled at least 22 flights to and from central cities on Sunday and Monday. Vietjet Aviation said it was cancelling or delaying flights but did not provide details.

Since July, record rainfall has lashed China's north and south in what meteorologists have described as extreme weather linked to climate change.

Natural disasters including flooding and drought caused 52.15 billion yuan ($7.28 billion) in direct economic losses in China last month, affecting millions of people and leaving 295 dead or missing, data from the Ministry of Emergency Management showed.

The Vietnamese government likened the strength of Kajiki to that of Yagi, which battered the country less than a year ago, killing about 300 people and causing $3.3 billion of property damage.

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