Powerful typhoon Yagi strikes Hainan, China on Friday

Typhoon Yagi, one of the most powerful storms in the last decade, struck northern Vietnam, resulting in at least 14 fatalities and injuring 176 others. The typhoon made landfall on Saturday afternoon with wind speeds reaching 149 kilometers per hour, causing extensive damage across the region. Over 3 million people lost electricity, and vital agricultural land, particularly rice and fruit crops, suffered significant destruction across nearly 116,192 hectares. The storm's impact was felt severely in the coastal provinces of Quang Ninh and Haiphong, where hundreds of flights were canceled due to the closure of four airports. As the typhoon weakened into a tropical depression early Sunday, officials warned of continued heavy rainfall, potential flooding in low-lying areas, and risks of landslides on steep slopes. In the aftermath, municipal workers, along with army and police forces, were deployed in Hanoi to clear debris, including uprooted trees and fallen billboards, while assessing the damage to buildings. The storm had previously caused devastation in the northwestern Philippines, leading to at least 20 deaths and 26 missing persons, primarily due to landslides and flooding. Experts attribute the increasing strength of storms like Yagi to climate change, as warmer ocean waters provide more energy, resulting in heightened wind speeds and heavier rainfall. The situation underscores the growing threat posed by severe weather events in the region, necessitating urgent attention to disaster preparedness and climate resilience.