Typhoon Noul has strengthened steadily while crossing the northern South China Sea, evolving from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm on Friday before reaching typhoon intensity as it moved west of Taiwan. The cyclone is now tracking toward southern China, where it is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds and thunderstorms to Guangdong, Fujian and Hong Kong this weekend.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) lifted its sea warning at 8:30 a.m. local time Saturday after the storm shifted farther away from the island. As of 8 a.m., the center of Noul was located about 330 kilometers (205 miles) west-southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving northwest at approximately 19 km/h (12 mph).
The CWA said the typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 119 km/h (74 mph) with a circulation radius of about 180 kilometers (112 miles). The Hong Kong Observatory estimated slightly stronger sustained winds of around 130 km/h (81 mph) near the storm’s center as it tracked across the northeastern South China Sea.
Although the sea warning has been lifted, Noul’s expansive outer rainbands continue to affect Taiwan. Extremely heavy rain warnings remain in place for the mountainous areas of Pingtung County, the Hengchun Peninsula and Taitung County, while heavy rain advisories cover parts of Pingtung, Hualien, Orchid Island and Green Island.
According to the CWA, an extremely heavy rain warning is issued when rainfall is expected to exceed 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) in 24 hours or 100 mm (3.9 inches) within three hours. Heavy rain warnings are issued when rainfall is forecast to exceed 80 mm (3.1 inches) in 24 hours or 40 mm (1.6 inches) within one hour. The agency expects the rain warnings to remain in effect through late Saturday afternoon, with gusty winds continuing along Taiwan’s coastline.
Southern China prepares for landfall
As Noul moves away from Taiwan, attention is shifting to southern China, where the National Meteorological Center renewed its orange typhoon alert Friday evening, the second-highest level in the country’s four-tier warning system.
The agency expects Noul, the twelfth named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, to make landfall along the Guangdong coast between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Chinese forecasters currently place the most likely landfall between Zhuhai and Raoping before the system turns northward and gradually weakens inland.
The Hong Kong Observatory forecasts a similar arrival time but places the most likely landfall farther east, near Huizhou and Shanwei. Regardless of the exact landfall location, forecasters agree that eastern Guangdong will experience the strongest impacts as the storm moves ashore.
Heavy to torrential rain is forecast across eastern Guangdong and parts of Taiwan through Saturday, while southeastern Guangdong and the southern coast of Fujian are expected to receive prolonged periods of heavy rainfall through Sunday. Strong winds are also forecast across the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel, the southern East China Sea and coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan.
Hong Kong braces for deteriorating weather
Hong Kong is also preparing for the storm’s approach.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued Standby Signal No. 1 on Friday evening and said it will assess whether to raise the warning to the No. 3 Strong Wind Signal later Saturday as Noul edges closer to the coast. While the cyclone is forecast to remain more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Hong Kong through Saturday morning, local winds are expected to strengthen steadily later in the day.
Under the influence of the storm’s outer circulation, hot daytime conditions will gradually give way to squally showers and thunderstorms. By Sunday, forecasters expect windy conditions with periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms across Hong Kong. The observatory noted that a slight westward shift in Noul’s track could bring stronger winds to parts of the territory.
Officials have also warned of hazardous swells along the coastline and advised residents to stay away from the shoreline and avoid water sports throughout the weekend.
Emergency preparations underway
Chinese authorities have activated a Level IV emergency response for flood and typhoon control in Guangdong and Fujian, while the Ministry of Emergency Management has also launched a Level IV response for potential geological disasters, including landslides.
Agricultural officials have urged farmers to accelerate harvesting where possible and reinforce crop and aquaculture facilities ahead of the storm’s arrival to reduce potential losses from strong winds and heavy rain.
Noul is the latest tropical cyclone to affect the western North Pacific during an active season. Earlier this month, Typhoon Maysak made landfall in southern China on July 3, while Typhoon Bavi struck eastern China on July 11 after prompting the evacuation of more than two million people. Meteorologists continue to monitor Noul closely as it approaches Guangdong, with heavy rainfall, localized flooding, damaging winds and thunderstorms expected to spread across southern China through the weekend.
