Typhoon Noul grounds Shenzhen, Guangzhou travel as strongest storm of 2026 hits

Typhoon Noul slammed into southern China's Guangdong province early Sunday, becoming the nation's most powerful storm of 2026. The typhoon made landfall near Huizhou at 3:50am, packing sustained winds of up to 162km/h (100mph) — slightly stronger than Typhoon Bavi that hit eastern China two weeks earlier. China's National Meteorological Centre responded with a rare red typhoon warning on Saturday evening, the highest alert level in its four-tier system, before stepping it down to orange and then yellow as the storm weakened after landfall.

Travel across Guangdong came to a halt as authorities suspended all high-speed rail services and cancelled flights, stranding thousands in the region's major tech hubs. Shenzhen and Guangzhou, home to hardware giants, semiconductor fabs, and data center clusters, faced severe logistical disruptions. Employees working in these cities were advised to stay home as heavy downpours and wind gusts continued. Noul is projected to track northwest across central Guangdong, enter Hunan province by early Monday, and weaken further inland. The storm's impact on supply chains and business continuity in China's silicon delta will likely be felt for days as cleanup and recovery begin.