Typhoon Doksuri slams into China after killing dozens in Philippines

The typhoon is the most powerful to make landfall in China this year and second-strongest to hit southeastern Fujian province since Typhoon Meranti in 2016.

Typhoon Doksuri swept into southern China on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that whipped power lines and sparked fires, uprooted trees, and ripped off part of a stadium roof.

The typhoon is the most powerful to make landfall in China this year and second-strongest to hit southeastern Fujian province since Typhoon Meranti in 2016, forcing the closure of schools, businesses and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, state media said.

Doksuri has affected more than 724,600 people, with 124,400 people evacuated and resettled, and caused direct economic losses of 52.27 million yuan ($7.30 million), media reported.

In the Fujian port city of Quanzhou, 39 people were reported to have suffered minor injuries, and more than 500,000 homes lost power.

The retractable roof of a stadium in downtown Quanzhou was ripped apart as wind lashed its huge dome, sending glass and metal flying.

Doksuri’s wind speed was downgraded to severe tropical storm but torrential rain was still expected to hit inland provinces such as Anhui, which grows corn, rice, soybean and cotton.

Its massive rain bands are expected to arc as far north as Beijing on Sunday or Monday.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities. In 2016, at least 11 people were killed when Meranti made landfall near the port city of Xiamen, south of Quanzhou.