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| Fishing boats tethered at the sheltered fishing port of North Sea Power Construction on Aug 2, 2016 in Beihai, Guangxi Z huang Autonomous Region. (Photo / Xinhua) |
GUANGZHOU/ NANNING - Typhoon Nida hit South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Tuesday afternoon after making landfall at 3:35 am Tuesday in the city of Shenzhen in neighboring Guangdong province.
Nida entered Guangxi via the city of Wuzhou around 5 pm and is moving northwest at 20 km per hour. It is expected to sweep across the counties of Cangwu, Zhaoping, and Mengshan and the cities of Liuzhou and Hechi in the following 24 hours, according to the regional meteorological station of Guangxi.
As Nida brought gales and heavy rain to the region, Guangxi closed most tourist attractions, including those on Weizhou Island, a large volcanic island which draws tens of thousands of tourists in holidays.
Passenger ships along the coastal areas of the region were also suspended on Tuesday and Nanning Railway Bureau canceled 194 trains.
The local water resources bureau warned that most rivers will be swollen and some small or medium rivers are liable to flood.
In Guangdong, nearly 200 train trips were suspended on Tuesday, including 180 bullet train trips, according to a statement issued by the Nanning Railway Bureau. Trains from Guangzhou to Nanning, capital of Guangxi, and Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, were among those suspended.
More than 2,000 soldiers and paramilitary forces, as well as over 100 ambulances, have been prepared for the emergency response in Shenzhen, the city's armed police headquarters said.
The Guangdong provincial government on Monday evening requested in a circular the suspension of projects, businesses, markets, schools and transportation. Companies and organizations that do not provide critical services or urban operations are encouraged to offer a day off on Tuesday.
Trading at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange was not affected on Tuesday.
All ships scheduled to end their fishing ban on Monday were asked to delay their departure and stay at port to avoid the rainstorm.
Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, gave a first-class emergency response order at 2 pm Monday, the first in Guangzhou's history, mobilizing people from all walks of life to prepare for the typhoon, said Zheng Hangwei, of Guangzhou water authority.
Except for rescue personnel, people have been advised to stay indoors.
Almost 2,000 workers on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge were evacuated on Monday morning and 2,200 people were taken off offshore oil platforms on Sunday evening, according to Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration.
"It's the strongest typhoon to hit the Pearl River Delta since 1983 and will bring severe flooding," said city official He Guoqing.
Nida is predicted to affect Southwest China's Yunnan province on Wednesday and Thursday.
Heavy rain is forecast for Yunnan, which has raised fears of floods and landslides, the provincial meteorological bureau said, warning residents in mountainous areas to take precautions.
China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
