Typhoon Yagi hits north Vietnam killing two and closing airports

Typhoon Yagi hit Vietnam on Saturday, with wind gusts exceeding 150 km/h.

In the north of the country, which was reached by the hurricane on Saturday afternoon, the authorities ordered the closure of four airports, including the one in Hanoi. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also ordered the evacuation of citizens living in the most dangerous areas, particularly those most prone to flooding and landslides.

The worst affected areas were the coastal provinces of Haiphong and Quang Ninh. Residents of Haiphong report seeing metal sheets and commercial signs flying through the sky.

One woman was killed on Friday in Hanoi when a tree fell and was lashed by rain and strong winds whilst a man was also killed by a falling tree in Hai Duong province.

The typhoon was described by Vietnamese meteorological authorities as 'one of the most powerful in the last decade in the region'.

Before reaching Vietnam, Yagi hit China and the Philippines

After sweeping through the Philippines, killing 21 people, Typhoon Yagi hit China, bearing down on the city of Wenchang in Hanai Province. Here, gusts reached 245 km/h. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, power outages affected 830,000 households in Hainan. In terms of human cost, the hurricane killed two people and injured 92.

Before the typhoon hit the region, the authorities managed to evacuate about 420,000 people, while another 500,000 were relocated from Guangdong Province.

According to experts, Yagi is the second most powerful typhoon in the world to occur this year, after the category 5 hurricane Beryl that hit the Atlantic.