Typhoon Hagibis forces 16,000 to evacuate Shantou

Typhoon Hagibis made landfall on Sunday in southern China, destroying houses, farmland, closing ports, and suspending trains and flights.

Packing strong winds and heavy rain, Hagibis hit Shantou in Guangdong province before weakening into a tropical storm later in the day, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The tropical storm, China's first of the year, made landfall on the coast of Haojiang District in Shantou at 4:50 pm, dumping 302 mm of rain.

More than 16,000 people have been evacuated in Shantou since Sunday. No casualties have been reported, according to the local authorities.

About 11,520 hectares of farmland were affected with economic losses reaching 577 million yuan ($93 million).

Twelve villages in Shantou were hit by flooding, with water levels reaching 4 meters in Shuanglao village, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Shantou authorities have dispatched patrols and a rescue team to deal with the aftermath of the storm.

Fujian province was also affected by Hagibis, with heavy rain and strong winds disrupting flight and train services in Fuzhou on Monday.

Southern and eastern China are entering the rainy season, with rainstorms expected over the next 10 days, according to the National Meteorological Center.