Typhoon Bebinca makes landfall in south China's Guangdong

Typhoon Bebinca, the 16th this year, made landfall around 9:40pm on Wednesday in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, packing winds of up to 82.8 km per hour near its eye, according to the provincial meteorological center.

Due to the suspension of ferry services on the Qiongzhou Strait, which separates Guangdong away from Hainan Province, 10,500 vehicles and 23,600 people had been stranded as of Wednesday noon, said the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

All the 1,254 fishing boats in 11 coastal cities west of the city of Shanwei have returned to port and 8,721 crew members have gone ashore, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Bebinca is expected to sweep through Leizhou Peninsula, also in Guangdong Province, before moving to the Beibu Gulf Thursday morning. It will bring strong winds and heavy rains to west Guangdong and cities in the Pearl River Delta along its route, the provincial meteorological center forecast.