Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian on a Friday morning, following its deadly impact in the Philippines and Taiwan, where it claimed the lives of at least 12 people. The storm unleashed heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that whipped power lines sparking fires, uprooted trees, and forced factories and shopping malls to shut.

The second strongest typhoon to land in Fujian after the deadly Typhoon Meranti in 2016 forced the closure of schools, businesses, suspension of public transport and flights, and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, Reuters quoted a state media.

Doksuri's wind speed was clocked at 137 kmph as of 1 pm, according to the National Meteorological Center. Hourly rainfall in Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Putian exceeded 50 mm, according to the China Meterological Administration (CMA).

The powerful storm hit Jinjiang, a coastal city situated across the Taiwan Strait, at 9.55 am local time on Friday. Typhoon Doksuri is projected to continue moving northwest and gradually weaken, Bloomberg quoted a state broadcaster CCTV report. As it moves north, it will reach agricultural province Anhui, dumping rain on its developing corn, rice, soybean, and cotton crops. Analysts say it should weaken by then but are watching closely for potential crop damage.

The government has issued a directive to local authorities, urging them to undertake emergency prevention and rescue measures. These actions include directing vessels to seek shelter, suspending large-scale indoor and outdoor gatherings, and halting outdoor work. Furthermore, they are advised to be vigilant regarding the potential risks of mountain floods resulting from heavy rainfall, as stated in an official government statement.

As the typhoon continues to pose a threat, several highways in the provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong have been temporarily closed. Additionally, the city of Xiamen announced the closure of offices and schools starting from 3 pm on Thursday, while Zhangzhou city, near Xiamen, has suspended work and classes for a duration of two days.

China Eastern Airlines Corp. announced the cancellation of both inbound and outbound flights in several southeastern cities from Thursday through Saturday. In Fujian's capital city, Fuzhou, more than 50 flights were canceled on Thursday, as reported by CCTV. The impact of the typhoon has also extended to train services in the Yangtze River Delta region of eastern China, where dozens of services have been suspended by China Railway's Shanghai bureau.

Typhoon Doksuri has already left a wake of death and destruction in its path as it moved from the Philippines across southern Taiwan. The storm toppled trees and cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes in southern Taiwan, prompting authorities to shut business for a second day on Friday and warn of extreme winds, landslides, and floods. Doksuri was categorised as the second-strongest typhoon level by Taiwan's weather bureau.

The storm cut power to more than 2,78,000 homes across Taiwan and downed hundreds of trees in Kaohsiung. Rainfall of more than 1 metre was recorded in the mountainous eastern and southern parts of the island. More than 300 domestic and international flights were suspended or delayed on Friday and railway services between southern and eastern Taiwan were halted.

In the northern Filipino province of Cagayan, where Doksuri made landfall as a super typhoon, nearly 16,000 people were forced to evacuate to safer locations. While over 1,80,000 individuals have been affected by the storm in the Southeast Asian country, the overall devastation appears to be less severe compared to the events of October in the previous year. During that time, storm Nalgae resulted in over 100 fatalities due to floods and landslides, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The typhoon's impact on agriculture also seems relatively limited. The Philippines' agriculture department estimated that the damage to crops, primarily rice, and corn, amounted to around 53.1 million pesos ($973,080). Similarly, Taiwan's agricultural losses from the typhoon are estimated to be approximately NT$1.5 million ($48,000).