In China, about 230,000 people have been evacuated due to Typhoon Talim. Last night I came ashore in the southern province of Guangdong. Talim continued its march towards Beibu Gulf and overnight – weakened by a tropical storm – again made landfall in Guangxi Province, which borders Vietnam.

The hurricane caused winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour. The southern province of Hainan Island was hit by waves nearly 6 meters high.

Floods have been reported in several places. According to the Reuters news agency, people are posting videos on Chinese social media of fallen trees, floating cars, a beached whale and walkers struggling to keep their balance.

According to state media, firefighters are busy rescuing people from fallen trees and cleaning roads. The extent of the damage caused by Talim has yet to be assessed.

Residents of the city of Fuzhou, located 1,000 km east of the area where Talib made landfall, were also affected by the typhoon. From there, there were reports of cars and furniture being washed away and flood damage.

In addition to the numerous evacuations, other precautions were taken in southern China’s provinces yesterday. Hundreds of flights and trains have been cancelled. Thousands of fishing boats have been withdrawn in Guangdong and dozens of coastal tourist destinations have been closed.

The storm is expected to weaken further as it moves northwest toward Vietnam during the day. In Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, about 30,000 people have been evacuated as a precaution.

Talim is the fourth cyclone in Asia of the year and the first to make landfall.