Typhoon Nesat, the strongest storm to hit China this year, forced the evacuation of 300,000 people and grounded flights as it swept past Hong Kong, causing damage on the Chinese island of Hainan before heading to Vietnam.
In Hong Kong, Bloomberg reported, the storm felled trees, ripped bamboo scaffolding from buildings and forced the city’s stock exchange to halt trading.
The typhoon, which killed at least 39 people in the Philippines earlier this week, then made landfall in Hainan province where gale force winds and torrential rains forced authorities to evacuate residents, and halt flights and high-speed rail services.
The typhoon is expected to hit Vietnam in the next 24 hours.
