Shipping lines and railway services in coastal areas of south China have been suspended as Typhoon Kai-Tak approaches.
According to the meteorological observatory of Guangdong province, Kai-Tak is expected to hit coastal regions in the province this afternoon, bringing heavy rain and gales.
Guangzhou Railway (Group) Corporation said that train services crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, linking the southernmost island province of Hainan and Guangdong Province, have been suspended in view of the approaching storm, state-run
Services on the high-speed line from Guangzhou to the cities of Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong have been stopped today.
More than 18,900 people, mainly fishermen and 51,000 vessels returned to the harbour, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Tropical storm Kai-Tak has developed into a typhoon, with the national observatory raising its emergency response to Level II from IV.
The State Oceanic Administration had issued a red alert yesterday for Kai-Tak, the highest alert in the country’s four-tier colour-coded weather warning system.
Fishing boats and fishermen have been forced to return to harbour, and relief materials and rescue personnel have been fully prepared to mitigate the typhoon’s impact, said Yang Yunxian, director of the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Shipping lines and other works at every port have been suspended, according to the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.
In Beihai city of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the shipping route linking the cities of Beihai and Haikou has also been closed yesterday, authorities of Beihai city said.
The route from Beihai to Weizhou Island, China’s biggest volcanic island is closes today, it added.
Since the start of August, several typhoons, including Saola, Damrey and Haikui, have hit southeast China, leaving 51 dead and 21 missing, according to the country’s Ministry of Civil Affairs.