Doubling in strength after causing massive damage in the northern Philippines earlier this week, Typhoon Yagi is the second-strongest typhoon of the year so far.
Meteorologists say Typhoon Yagi could cause “catastrophic” damage to Hainan and neighboring Guangdong province, China's most populous province.
Yagi is a “very dangerous and powerful” super typhoon that could cause “potentially catastrophic” landfall, the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Center warned in an advisory issued Thursday.
A super typhoon is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.
Immediately after landfall, Hainan suffered widespread power outages, with local media reporting that about 830,000 households were affected. An emergency team of about 7,000 people said power had been restored to 260,000 households by Friday evening.
Authorities have closed all tourist attractions from Wednesday, warning of “strong and damaging winds”.
Hainan, with its white sandy beaches, luxury hotels and duty-free shops, is nicknamed “China’s Hawaii.”
A major bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai in Guangdong province, the world's longest sea crossing, was also closed. The storm made landfall in Guangdong province for the second time Friday evening, with winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour.
Parts of the region have been experiencing heavy rain and strong storms since Thursday, with the China Meteorological Administration predicting rainfall of up to 500mm.
Hainan is no stranger to typhoons. But of the 106 typhoons that have made landfall on Hainan since 1949, only nine have been classified as super typhoons, according to Reuters.
Chinese authorities expect Yagi to be the strongest typhoon to hit China's southern coast in a decade.
Elsewhere in Hong Kong, trading on the city's stock exchange was halted and schools were closed. Five people were injured in the city's extreme weather, but authorities said overall damage was limited.
