Typhoon Noul, the strongest storm to hit China this year, made landfall near Huidong in Guangdong province in the early hours of 26 July, packing winds of 110 km/h. The system triggered the first No. 8 and No. 9 warning signals of 2026 in Hong Kong and forced the evacuation of more than 715,000 people across Guangdong, according to state media. Aviation was hardest hit. Hong Kong International Airport cancelled about 400 flights over the weekend; Shanghai and Shenzhen imposed temporary ground stops, while Singapore Airlines, Scoot and several mainland carriers called off services into southern China. On Monday 27 July, South China Morning Post reporters found dozens of passengers still camped in the terminal as airlines worked through backlogs, although the Airport Authority said operations had "largely returned to normal" with 900 movements scheduled. The disruption extended to rail: China Railway Guangzhou Group suspended services on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen intercity line and the high-speed link to Chaoshan, advising travellers to defer non-essential journeys. Logistics operators reported 24- to 48-hour delays for cross-border e-commerce parcels moving through Shenzhen’s bonded zones. Business continuity managers with personnel in South China are urged to check staff travel insurance coverage for storm-related delays and to monitor the China Meteorological Administration’s advisories, as Noul’s remnants continue to dump heavy rain inland, raising flood risks for factory zones in Hunan and Jiangxi. The incident underscores the importance of typhoon contingency planning during peak season (July-September) for companies operating in the Pearl River Delta.
