Heavy clouds hang over the city of Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 23, 2008. Hagupit, the 14th typhoon to affect China this year, is poised for landfall in the southern Guangdong Province on Wednesday, meteorological stations in Fujian and Guangdong provinces warned on Monday. (Xinhua/Lo Pin Fai) Photo Gallery>>>

    GUANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Hagupit landed in south China's Guangdong Province at 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, packing hurricane force winds at 172 kilometers per hour in its eye.

    The 14th strong typhoon of the year made landfall in the coastal areas of Chencun Town, Dianbai County in the city of Maoming, the provincial meteorological bureau said.

    In high alarm of the typhoon, the province recalled more than 50,000 ships and nearly 200,000 fishermen or crew members on Tuesday.

    The coastal city of Yangjiang evacuated 17,324 people and checked reservoirs and dams for potential danger.

    In Xuwen County, more than 11,000 people were evacuated and more than 110 reservoirs were scrutinized.

    The Shenzhen airport cancelled most domestic flights scheduled after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and encouraged passengers to postpone or cancel their trips.

    Educational bureau of Haikou, capital city of the island province of Hainan, issued a notice late on Tuesday, ordering all schools and kindergartens to close on Wednesday.

    In the adjacent Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local governments were keeping close watch for secondary disasters.

    Hagupit is the second typhoon in a week to affect Taiwan, Fujian and Guangdong, after typhoon Sinlaku lashed the region last Tuesday.

Traffic halted as Typhoon Hagupit edges closer to Macao

    MACAO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted the gale signal No. 8 as Typhoon Hagupit gathered speed and moved closer to Macao, which also forced local land, sea and air traffic to be suspended starting from Tuesday afternoon.

    The SMG hoisted the strong wind signal No. 3 at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday local time, which was replaced by the gale signal No. 8 later at 7:15 p.m., when the tropical storm was 190 km southeast off the Macao coast, moving northwest by west at a speed of 30 km per hour toward the west part of China's Guangdong province. Full story

South China braces for typhoon Hagupit

    GUANGZHOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangdong Province, where strong typhoon Hagupit is expected to land, was getting prepared for this year's 14th tropical storm on Tuesday.

    The typhoon was located at about 370 kilometers east of the Zhanjiang city of Guangdong as of 8 p.m.. It packed hurricane force winds at about 180 kilometers per hour in the center while churning westwards at a speed of 30 kilometer per hour, according to the meteorological station of Guangdong. Full story

S China recalls fishing vessels as typhoon Hagupit nears

    FUZHOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of fishing boats in southern China have been recalled to port as meteorologists on Tuesday warned typhoon Hagupit is gathering strength as it neared coastal regions.

    The meteorological station in Fujian warned the typhoon's core was 520 km southeast of Zhuhai City in Guangdong as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, packing winds of strong hurricane force at 180 km per hour in the center. Full story