Deadly Typhoon Utor Slams into Southeast China

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

August 14,2013; 8:18PM,EDT

 

 

Deadly Typhoon Utor has made its final landfall in Southeast China and will continue to weaken through Friday, but still poses major danger to lives and property.
Utor moved onshore on Wednesday afternoon local time (early Wednesday morning EDT) near Yangjiang in Southeast China, which is located to the southwest of Hong Kong.
A maximum sustained wind of 93 kph (58 mph) was recorded at Yangjiang around landfall.
Utor will now press slowly northward across Southeast China through Friday local time. Despite weakening in the process, Utor will continue to unload torrential and flooding rainfall.

The image above is a satellite picture taken on Wednesday afternoon, local time, after Utor made landfall in Southeast China. Image courtesy of NOAA.
The potential exists for 150 to 300 mm (6 to 12 inches) of rain across the Chinese states of western Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuangzu, Guizhou and Hunan. Locally higher amounts are possible, especially in the higher terrain. Severe flooding and mudslides are serious concerns.
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The destructive nature of Utor's winds will gradually diminish as Utor presses inland, though damage to trees and structures is still expected along Utor's path through Thursday.
Hong Kong is escaping the worst of Utor's fury. However, the outer rain bands of Utor will occasionally soak the city through Thursday. Winds strong enough to cause minor tree and structural damage are also expected through Wednesday evening.

Utor's final landfall comes a few days after the typhoon slammed into the Philippines near the Casapsapan Bay early on Monday morning local time (Sunday afternoon EDT).
Utor was upgraded to a super typhoon on Sunday night local time when a distinctive eye developed on satellite imagery. Prior to Utor making landfall, AccuWeather.com meteorologists concluded that Utor had undergone some weakening and lost its super typhoon status.
At least seven people have died and five others remain missing across the northern Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Utor, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The deaths include a man who was buried by a mudslide, a man who was trying to rescue his livestock from flood waters and two people that drowned in flash flooding.
Nearly 6,000 homes were damaged with 738 of those homes sustaining total damage.

Members of the Baguio City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and local police clean up the screen of the City Camp Lagoon Tunnel in Baguio city, as powerful typhoon Utor battered the northern Philippines on Monday Aug. 12, 2013, toppling power lines and dumping heavy rain across mountains, cities and food-growing plains. (AP Photo)
AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Eric Leister contributed to the content of this story.