Typhoon Noul weakens as it lashes southern China

AP and AFP, HONG KONG and BEIJING Add TT as Preferred Source Typhoon Noul yesterday weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday, as it moved inland after lashing a stretch of southern China with strong winds and rain, prompting emergency relief in the fiercest storm to hit the country this year, state media reported. Chinese weather authorities expected parts of southern Guangdong and southeastern Fujian provinces to experience heavy rain. More than 801,000 people had been relocated for safety in Guangdong as of yesterday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. Workers move a fallen tree in the aftermath of Typhoon Noul in Pinghai in China’s Guangdong Province yesterday. Photo: Xinhua news agency via AP Prior to the storm’s landfall, severe weather forecasts had spurred authorities to evacuate