Typhoon “Hagupit” slams into China’s Zhejiang

Typhoon "Hagupit" — the fourth named storm of the 2020 Pacific typhoon season — made landfall in China's Zhejiang Province at around 19:30 UTC on August 4, 2020. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and gusts to 187 km/h (115 mph), making it a Category 1 hurricane equivalent on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale.

Hagupit, known in the Philippines as Dindo, formed on August 1, 2020, and continued strengthening as it headed toward Okinawa, Japan.

On Sunday, August 2, China's national observatory issued a blue alert for parts of its southeast, expecting gales and torrential rain. Local governments were ordered to prepare their emergency responses for possible natural disasters caused.

Hagupit further strengthened into a typhoon on August 3 and passed just north of Taiwan, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Capital Taipei was spared from the heaviest rains and strongest winds.

Tropical Cyclone "Hagupit" at 09:10 UTC on August 3, 2020. Credit: JMA/Himawari-8, RAMMB/CIRA

At 15:00 UTC on August 3, the center of Typhoon "Hagupit" was located about 110 km (70 miles) southeast of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.

It had maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph), maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph), and gusts up to 185 km/h (115 mph). The minimum central pressure was 975 hPa and the system was moving NW at 15 km/h (9 mph).

Landfall took place near the city of Wenzhou at around 19:30 UTC.

Featured image: Typhoon "Hagupit" at 18:40 UTC on August 3, 2020. Credit: JMA/Himawari-8, RAMMB/CIRA