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The storm struck near Huizhou with sustained winds reaching 145 kilometers per hour according to regional meteorological tracking that classified it as the strongest typhoon to hit Guangdong this year. Reuters reported that Noul passed within 80 kilometers of Hong Kong overnight before weakening as it moved inland although gales continued to pound parts of the city. All typhoon warning signals were canceled by Sunday evening as the system tracked northwest and forecasters anticipated heavy rainfall persisting until Tuesday across southern China.
The South China Morning Post placed the approach as the third closest to Hong Kong since 2000 after systems such as Saola which came within 40 kilometers in 2023. The newspaper added that the Hospital Authority had recorded 21 injuries across the city by midday Sunday with those affected receiving treatment in public hospital emergency departments. Officials also handled 88 reports of fallen trees to one call center 243 similar reports to the fire services eight flooding incidents and opened shelters that accommodated 246 people.
Police received numerous calls after multi-storey scaffolding along Cheung Sha Wan Road collapsed in the powerful winds on Saturday the BBC reported in its video coverage of the event. No injuries resulted from the structural failure according to the statements relayed by the broadcaster. The scaffolding collapse occurred as the typhoon’s outer bands swept through the city one day prior to the main landfall farther up the coast.
More than 715,000 people had been relocated in Guangdong province the Associated Press reported citing figures from state-owned China National Radio. Rail services were suspended across parts of the province with more than 190 high-speed services canceled on Sunday in addition to the airport closures. The evacuations formed part of a high-alert protocol as officials warned of flash flooding and landslide risks from the torrential downpours.
An overview of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season shows Noul had intensified to peak winds of 140 kilometers per hour before its final landfall making it one of the stronger July systems in recent records. The storm followed a path that echoed earlier events such as Saola in 2023 which had also triggered large-scale precautions in the same coastal zones. Hong Kong authorities issued standby signals days in advance as the system developed in the Northwest Pacific.
As of July 27 the remnants of Noul continued producing heavy rain across inland areas Reuters indicated in updated coverage of the system. Drainage teams in Hong Kong managed the reported flooding while transport operators assessed the full scope of cancellations and delays. The combined impacts underscored ongoing efforts to coordinate responses between Hong Kong and mainland authorities during seasonal tropical cyclones.
