Services affected as typhoon hits Hainan
People walk against strong winds in Hainan University on Tuesday as typhoon Nangka approaches the southern Chinese province. Schools and transport services have been discontinued.
Nangka, the 16th typhoon of the year, made landfall in Qionghai City on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan, at around 7:20pm on Tuesday, the local meteorological authority said.
Nangka landed on the coast of the township of Bo’ao, making it the first typhoon to make landfall in Hainan this year, with a maximum wind speed of 25 meters per second near the typhoon’s center, Hainan Meteorological Service said.
Schools in Sanya, Wanning, Qionghai and Lingshui suspended classes. More than 21,500 fishing boats in the province returned to port and over 66,900 fishermen moved ashore.
Typhoon Nangka was expected to bring strong winds and downpours to most parts of Hainan late Tuesday and Wednesday. So far, Hainan has issued a Level-II typhoon warning and a Level-III rainstorm warning.
Ferry operations across the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan and Guangdong Province were halted from 3am Tuesday as a precaution against gales and downpours, according to the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.
The typhoon also disrupted train services in Hainan. A total of 180 flights at the two airports in Haikou and Sanya had been canceled by 2pm.
The typhoon is also expected to generate heavy rains and gales in parts of Guangdong Province as well as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal early Tuesday as Nangka was brushing past Hong Kong. The Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced class suspension of all day schools.
Many of the public services have been affected, with hearings of the courts adjourned, driving tests canceled, and collection points of deep throat saliva samples for COVID-19 testing set up in 13 designated public clinics suspended.
The observatory suggested the public stay away from the shoreline and not engage in water sports.
Macau also issued typhoon signal No. 8 on Tuesday. The Civil Protection Operations Center has coordinated government departments to make preparations and opened four emergency shelters for the public. The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau said all middle schools, primary schools, kindergartens and special education facilities have suspended classes.
