アメリカ民主主義さんの おぼえた日記 - 2024年9月6日(金)

＜BBCニュース9月8日＞
Strongest typhoon in a decade hits 'China's Hawaii'
10年で最大の台風が中国のハワイを襲撃

◎要旨
最大風速223キロの台風が海南島を襲った。40万人もの人がこの台風上陸前に避難した。列車や飛行機は運休となり、学校も休校となった。木曜日から強い降雨となり、気象台は500ミリの雨量に達するとしている。この台風はベトナムにも被害を及ぼす見込みだ。
A popular tourist island south of mainland China has been hit by the most powerful typhoon in a decade, leaving the area facing potentially catastrophic winds and torrential rain.
Super typhoon Yagi slammed into Wenchang city in the north-east of Hainan island with winds of 223 km/h (138 mph) at 16:00 local time (09:00 BST) on Friday, according to state media.
Yagi is the strongest to hit Hainan since Rammasun in 2014, which left 46 people dead. China's weather agency said it is the strongest typhoon to make landfall in the autumn.
Some 400,000 people in Hainan island were evacuated to safe ground ahead of Yagi's arrival. Trains, boats and flights were suspended, while schools were shut.
Yagi - which has doubled in strength after wreaking havoc in northern Philippines early this week - is the second strongest typhoon so far this year.
Meteorologists say Yagi may cause "catastrophic" damage in Hainan and neighbouring Guangdong, which is also China's most populous province.
Yagi is an "extremely dangerous and powerful" super typhoon which could make a "potentially catastrophic" landfall, the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center warned in an advisory on Thursday.
A super typhoon is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.
All tourist attractions have been shut since Wednesday by order of authorities. who warned of "massive and destructive winds".
With white sand beaches, luxury hotels and duty free shops, Hainan has been dubbed "China's Hawaii".
The world's longest sea crossing, the main bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong, was also closed.
Parts of the region have been experiencing heavy rainfall and strong gales since Thursday. China's weather authority expects rainfall to reach up to 500mm.
Hainan, which boasts sandy beaches and clear waters, is no stranger to typhoons. But just nine of the106 typhoons which have landed in Hainan since 1949 were classified as super typhoons, news agency Reuters reported.
Chinese authorities believe Yagi will be the strongest typhoon to hit its southern coast in a decade.

◎私見
台風の勢力が巨大化するのを見聞するたびに、地球温暖化の深刻さを実感する。地球が住みにくくなる前に、この問題には真剣に取り組む必要があるのだろう。昨日の飲み会で、これらの社会問題の見識を試す試験があるから是非受けようという話しもあった。サステナビリティー検定というらしいが、少し勉強しようかとも思う。