More than 20 ferries and 66 passenger and freightliners were affected. Trains on the ferry to Guangdong's capital Guangzhou were cancelled, said the maritime affairs bureau in Haikou, Hainan's provincial capital.

    Air traffic has not been affected.

    Xangsane, the 16th storm to hit China this year, had its center located at 320 kilometers southeast of Hainan's Sanya city at 5:00p.m. on Saturday.

    Meaning "elephant" in Laotian, Xangsane was moving westwards at15 to 20 kilometers per hour and was likely to hit Vietnam on Sunday, according to the State Meteorological Administration.

    The Hainan meteorological observatory predicted the typhoon would bring winds of up to 156 kilometers per hour and unleash heavy rains on Hainan, Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region until Wednesday.

    Foul weather and traffic delays would affect tourism in Hainan, where the beach resorts are popular during the weeklong National Day holiday. Traffic delays could affect 20,000 visitors a day, the Haikou maritime affairs bureau estimated.

    The typhoon pounded the Philippines on Wednesday night, killing at least 62 people and leaving 68 missing. More than 180,000 people taken to safety in Vietnam as the country braced for its onslaught. Enditem