Typhoon Doksuri is downgraded to tropical storm status as it leaves southern China
Typhoon Doksuri weakened into a tropical storm late night Friday after bringing heavy rain and winds that left more than a million people without power in southern China
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Doksuri weakened into a tropical storm late Friday night after bringing heavy winds and rain that left more than a million people without power in southern China.
After making landfall Friday morning in southern Fujian province, where at least 400,000 people were evacuated, the storm flooded streets and toppled electric transmission towers in the province. Over a million households were left without power, according to the state-backed Xiamen Evening News.
The typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm at 11 p.m. Friday night, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV announced.
Businesses and summer school classes had been ordered suspended and the public was urged to stay indoors. In the city of Quanzhou by China's southern coast, authorities reported some 50 individuals sustained minor injuries. Residents shared photos on social media showing downed trees with roots fully out of the ground Saturday morning.
Earlier in the week, the storm grazed past Taiwan's main island after hitting the Philippines, where it produced landslides, flooding and downed trees. The storm displaced thousands and caused 39 deaths — including 26 killed when a ferry capsized.
The tropical storm is expected to move its way farther inland in China, bringing heavy rains to the capital, Beijing.
