Classes Canceled Across Guangdong as Super Typhoon Nears

By Matthew Bossons, September 16, 2018

In anticipation of Super Typhoon Mangkhut’s arrival, schools across Guangdong province will remain closed until Tuesday, September 18, according to an announcement released yesterday by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education. The suspension of classes applies to primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges.

International schools across the Pearl River Delta, including the American International School of Guangzhou and Shenzhen American International School, have published notices confirming that classes will be canceled on Monday, September 17.

The storm is expected to make landfall in South China sometime in the next 12 hours, after ravaging the northern portion of the Philippines yesterday (September 15). Mangkhut made landfall at around 2am last night on the nation’s largest and most populated island, Luzon.

According to a report by the BBC, as many as 14 people were killed in the Philippines by the massive storm.

In Guangdong, the transportation network is in disarray, with planes, trains and ferries all experiencing delays and service cancelations. The operators of Shenzhen Metro are expected to institute a “speed limit” on the subway system over the next two days, and may even close some stations.

Folks planning to travel in Guangdong in the coming days are encouraged to stay put, hunker down and wait out the storm.

Screengrab via AccuWeather

Currently (as of 10.20am, September 16), red typhoon alerts have been issued in Guangzhou, Foshan, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen. Huizhou and Zhaoqing have issued orange typhoon warnings. (As of 11.55pm last night, nine red typhoon warnings, 48 orange warnings, 21 yellow warnings and 20 blue typhoon warnings had been issued across Guangdong, according to Southern Metropolis Daily).

Screengrab via AccuWeather

In Hong Kong, a No.10 warning signal is in force (as of 10.20am, September 16), as well as an amber rainstorm warning signal.

To find out how to track Super Typhoon Mangkhut in real time, click here.

UPDATE (September 16, 2018 at 10.20am CST): this article has been updated to reflect the fact that Hong Kong has upgraded their warning from a No.3 to No.10 alert, and that Guangzhou and Foshan are now under red typhoon warnings.

[Cover image via typhoon.zjwater.gov.cn]