Typhoon hits Hainan, triggers evacuations

Typhoon Maysak, the first storm to make landfall in China this year, struck the southern island province of Hainan on Friday, triggering widespread evacuations and transport shutdowns as authorities warned of prolonged torrential rain while the storm continues toward the Beibu Gulf.

Maysak made landfall at 6:20 pm Friday in the coastal town of Yelin in the Lingshui Li autonomous county with maximum sustained winds of 23 meters per second, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service. The storm is expected to cross Hainan, enter the Beibu Gulf and make a second landfall near the border of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Vietnam on Saturday before gradually weakening.

By 4 pm on Friday, more than 1,700 vessels had moved beyond the projected radius of strong winds, while 2,910 people had been evacuated from ships and offshore platforms, according to the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.

Chen Tao, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, said the storm is expected to move slowly across Guangxi after crossing Hainan, extending heavy rainfall across South China while enhancing rainfall over the Yangtze River basin, increasing the risks of flooding and geological disasters.

Hainan is expected to receive the heaviest rainfall through Saturday, with 150 to 250 millimeters forecast across 11 cities and counties, and isolated areas likely to receive more than 350 mm, according to the provincial meteorological service. Authorities also issued a red alert for flash floods in parts of southern Hainan through Saturday morning.

The National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level IV emergency response for Hainan, Guangxi and Guangdong and dispatched a working group to Hainan. The Ministry of Water Resources also launched flood-control emergency measures in the three provincial-level regions.

Hainan's emergency management department deployed three advanced rescue teams to high-risk areas, while 17 civilian rescue teams equipped with more than 500 pieces of equipment remained on standby, according to Liu Gong, a senior inspector at the provincial emergency command center.

"Once dangers emerge, we will respond immediately," she said.

The Hainan Power Grid Co mobilized nearly 4,000 emergency personnel and prepositioned generators and repair equipment.

Transport across the island largely ground to a halt. All rail services were suspended on Friday and Saturday, while ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait stopped from early Friday. Sanya Phoenix International Airport also suspended all arrivals and departures from 5 pm on Friday.

Schools in several cities and counties, including Sanya, were closed on Friday, while Sanya suspended all marine, river and mountain tourism activities.