At least 18 people are dead after a lethal typhoon slammed into south China this weekend. The storm has now killed more than 100 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.
Typhoon Rammasun made landfall in China July 18 after rampaging across the Philippines. Local weather agencies reported the storm reached wind speeds of over 130 miles per hour, making it the worst typhoon south China has experienced in four decades. (Via BBC)
State-run media outlets report more than five and a half million people were affected by Rammasun, which damaged roads, downed power lines, and destroyed buildings. Hainan and Guanxi provinces suffered the most — officials estimate the storm dealt just over $2 billion of damage to both regions combined. (Via South China Morning Post, CCTV)
Rammasun first made landfall in the Philippines Tuesday as a Category 3 storm. The country's weather agency reports 94 people were killed and 1.6 million displaced during the typhoon. (Via ITN)
From there, Rammasun moved out into the South China Sea, where it was expected to weaken significantly. But as CNN reports, Rammasun did just the opposite.
"130 kph, that's a minimal typhoon, Cat-1. In less than 24 hours — look at this — exploded into a super typhoon, catagory 5 winds, and it just pummeled Hainan there."
Rammasun has now been downgraded to a tropical depression, and is expected to travel across northern Vietnam. Although the worst of the storm is over, Bloomberg cautions heavy rains could still pose a risk of flooding and landslides to anyone in Rammasun's path.
And the region won't have very long to catch its breath; experts are already warning about another potential typhoon, Matmo. It's gathering strength in the Pacific Ocean, and Taiwan and China are right in its projected path. (Via The Weather Channel)
Matmo is expected to reach Taiwan on Tuesday, but could still swing north or south of the country.
