South China preps for typhoon's landfall

Guangdong province in South China, is going all-out to brace for Typhoon Talim, with the top priorities being given to preventing casualties and minimizing economic losses, provincial authorities said on Sunday.

Talim, the fourth typhoon this year, is expected to make a landfall between Taishan in the province's western coast and Wenchang in Hainan province, bringing strong gales and storms from Monday night to early Tuesday morning.

Guangdong's Flood Control, Drought Relief and Anti-Typhoon Headquarters has upgraded its anti-typhoon emergency to second-level response starting 3 pm Sunday, requiring all fishing vessels to return to typhoon shelters.

All fishermen and offshore workers were ordered to go ashore before Monday noon, according to a statement released by the headquarters on Sunday.

Departments in typhoon-hit cities must get ready to prevent and cope with possible disasters, including flooding, mountain torrents, mudslides and bank bursts in the coming days to prevent and reduce casualties and economic losses.

Raging storms accompanying Talim, are expected to strike coastal cities in the province, causing possible widespread economic losses to typhoon-hit cities and counties on Monday and Tuesday, local meteorological departments have warned.

Major cities in the Pearl River delta, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, Dongguan and Zhaoqing, are expected to experience heavy downpours in the days to come.

China Railway Guangzhou Group has decided to suspend passenger train operation for the cities of Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Maoming and Haikou from Monday to Tuesday.

Railway ferry services across Qiongzhou Strait linking the mainland to Hainan, have been suspended starting Sunday noon.