Radar: 50-Year Typhoon Hits China
Typhoon Saomai hit mainland China this morning with 135 mph winds (Cat 4), destroying at least 1,000 houses near Mazhan. 1.3 million had been evacuated. The "super-typhoon" maxed out at 160 mph with gusts to 195 mph (Cat 5) yesterday. USAToday says it was the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 1949. The Chinese Meteorological service did not have any information or photos online yet, but probably will later this morning.
The storm is moving inland, as shown by the U.S. NHC's tropical winds forecast model from our Pro site. This is unfortunate because some of these areas were damaged by Typhoon Bilis. I made a track comparison generated from University of Hawaii Maps.
A radar animation from the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan (showing Tropical Storm Bopha striking Taiwan and Typhoon Saomai hitting China) is available above, and visible satellite shots from the U.S. Navy are available below (see also Infrared at landfall).
A woman stands among the debris left after her house was struck by typhoon Somai, in Heweiyang village, in China's Zhejiang province Friday Aug. 11, 2006. The death toll from the most powerful storm to strike China in five decades rose to at least 104 Friday, with another 190 people missing, after Typhoon Saomai destroyed thousands of homes and capsized ships. (AP Photo/Associated Press CHINATOPIX)
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