Typhoon Yagi disrupts chemical shipping in China’s Hainan province

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Transportations of chemical cargoes in southern China’s Hainan province were halted since 5 September ahead of the landfall of Typhoon Yagi.

Operations at ports, trains and highways were closed to brace for the typhoon, which is expected to make landfall at Wenchang in Hainan or in the adjacent Guangdong province on Friday afternoon or evening, according to China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

It will then move west to Guangxi province and is expected to make another landfall in northern Vietnam before weakening, it said.

The storm will bring in super strong winds with speed of 60-65 meters per second and heavy rainfalls, CMA said.

In the island province of Hainan, Sinopec has mobilized all staff to stand by for any emergency caused by Yagi on Friday morning, a company source said.

Hainan has evacuated more than 410,000 people as of 9:00 hours (01:00 GMT) on Friday and authorities targeted to compete evacuation of thousands more by 11:00am, according to the provincial government.

In Guangdong, the direct hit is expected to be in Zhanjiang City, where schools, shopping malls, construction works and ports in the city were ordered shut since 10:00 hours on 5 September.

Elsewhere in the province, only light rains are expected.

A Foshan-based petrochemical trader, meanwhile, said that cargoes continued to be delivered on Friday.