Six deaths and millions without power after typhoon batters South-East China

“When it makes landfall in Fujian, it will be significantly weaker, basically the strength of a typhoon or severe tropical storm”, the government agency’s chief forecaster Qian Chuanhai told state television.

Taiwan’s death toll rose to six after an eight-year-old girl who went missing Thursday after being swept out to sea with her mother and twin sister was found dead.

Despite its downgrade to a tropical storm, Soudelor continues to pose dangers to residents of eastern China.

Meanwhile, east China’s Jiangxi Province launched a level-three emergency response as the typhoon was expected to land in the province around noon today.

By mid-morning as it was crossing the island, Soudelor was still packing maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said.

After making landfall early Saturday, the typhoon felled billboards, ripped up trees and knocked out power to a record number of households in Taiwan. Meteorologists said that Taipingshan received 40 inches of rain in two days.

China endured heavy rain and fierce winds, leading to the evacuation of nearly 160,000 people from their homes, according to BBC News.

No casualties have been reported, in contrast to in Taiwan, the place the Nationwide Hearth Company stated 5 individuals died, 5 are lacking, and an extra 185 have been injured.

As a result of Soudelor, officials have grounded over 300 hundred domestic and global flights. Six expressways were closed, and 191 high-speed trains were also suspended.

The Central Weather Bureau warned 16 cities and counties that they were likely to experience intense rain and powerful winds from Soudelor. Huge waves battered the coastline, causing “a lot of flying debris, a lot of tree damage and along the coastal areas, the waves had inundated the low-lying areas, damaging the roads in places as well as some vulnerable properties which were right by the coast”, he said.

Thousands were evacuated and millions of homes left without power as Typhoon Soudelor barrelled through Fujian and Zhejiang provinces on Saturday.

Typhoon Soudelor, the 13th this year, has left 9 people dead and another 3 missing in Wenzhou City in East China’s Zhejiang Province, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said on Sunday. The risks from flooding and landslides are potentially greater than the risks from storm surge or wind, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

The city of Fuding experienced the heaviest downpour of over 501 mm in Fujian.

The typhoon weakened later today with top winds of up to 144 kph (89 mph) while moving away from the island in a northwesterly direction.