Typhoon Higos batters cities in S China's Guangdong

Typhoon Higos, which made its landfall in Zhuhai Special Economic Zone with a gale speed of more than 35 meters per second on Tuesday night, has wreaked havoc in the major cities in the western part of the Pearl River Delta in South China's Guangdong province.

According to a statement released by China Railway Guangzhou Group, intercity railway services, including Guangzhou-Zhuhai and Jiangmen-Zhanjiang, and some high-speed train services between Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been canceled due to the strong gales and heavy downpours brought by Higos on Wednesday.

Some trains that depart and arrive in Zhuhai from outside Guangdong province have also reportedly been canceled or delayed because of the bad weather.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that links the three metropolises at the mouth of the Pearl River has also been temporarily closed for safety reasons on Wednesday.

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines, one of the major airlines in China, canceled a total of 75 flights that land in and take off from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, affecting thousands of passengers on Wednesday.

The ferry service across the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan provinces has been suspended because of Higos starting 7 pm Tuesday. And when the ferry service would resume was still unknown as of Wednesday noon.

In Zhuhai, which was hit hardest by Higos, many trees were rooted out and billboards were blown down, damaging vehicles parked along the roadsides and streets and causing heavy traffic jams in the city's busy areas.

All the outdoor construction sites and bazaars have been closed while classes at local schools and kindergartens have also been suspended in Zhuhai on Wednesday.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, was also struck by the strong gales and storms brought by Higos.

The city's Haizhu district department of education has required all schools and kindergartens in the district to suspend classes on Wednesday morning.

The Guangdong provincial government issued a notice on Tuesday, requiring relevant departments and cities to take effective and concrete measures to protect the lives and property of local residents and minimize economic losses.