Typhoon Noul hits southern China; 340,000 evacuated, 350 flights cut

Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday near Pinghai in Guangdong province, lashing southern China and Hong Kong with heavy rain and gale-force winds after authorities moved more than 340,000 people to safety. China halted train service across Guangdong on Sunday, while Hong Kong International Airport scrubbed at least 350 arriving and departing flights and planned a gradual resumption after 6 p.m. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the storm warning to Signal No. 9 before lowering it to No. 8, which kept most businesses and transport links shut. State media said Noul came ashore around 3:50 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers an hour, the strongest typhoon to strike China this year.