Packing winds of around 200 kph (125 mph), the super typhoon could make landfall late on Friday or early on Saturday in Guangdong, and rate among the five strongest to hit the populous province since 1949, authorities have warned.
“It’s very sad for me because I am not able to attend my daughter’s oath-taking,” said a tearful Ledenila Barizo, 54, who had been due to fly to the Philippines, as she paced in front of the airline desk.
Shenzhen, a city of more than 17 million, suspended work, businesses and financial markets from Friday afternoon, warning that destructive winds could lash it through Saturday.
“Of course I’m worried, it’s forecast to be a big one and I want to get home,” a delivery driver surnamed Lu said on a busy day for the city’s supermarkets, many set to close early.
Officials of the Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong said it had halted outdoor operations and transferred out vulnerable materials, with emergency staff taking up duty.
“Despite its moderate intensity, (Rumbia) had an exceptionally long lifespan, lasting a total of 132 hours, with over three days spent over mainland China,” said climatologist Shao Sun of the University of California, Irvine.
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