People walk under rain in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 4, 2015. Typhoon Mujigae, the 22nd typhoon this year, landed on South China's Guangdong Province on Sunday. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)
GUANGZHOU, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Mujigae, the 22nd typhoon this year, made landfall in South China's Guangdong Province on Sunday.
The typhoon, bringing gales and downpours, hit the coastal city of Zhanjiang at 2:10 p.m., packing winds of up to 50 meters per second, the provincial meteorological observatory said.
It is forecast to move northwest at a speed of about 20 km per hour and arrive in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the evening. Storms are predicted to last till Monday in west Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta.
Guangdong's flood control and drought relief headquarters elevated its typhoon emergency response to the highest level at 9 a.m.
More than 24,000 power maintenance workers in Guangdong are ready to deal with possible power cuts caused by the typhoon, according to the China Southern Power Grid.
Maritime safety authorities of Zhanjiang told Xinhua that some vessels were stranded at sea, though no casualties have been reported.
More than 500 tourists have been stranded on Fangji Island, a popular scenic spot administered by Maoming City, said the city's office handling floods, droughts and typhoons.
The authorities began to evacuate tourists from the island on Saturday, but the operation was interrupted by strong winds. The remaining tourists were transferred to hotels for free accommodation.
Water, power supply and telecommunications at the hotels are unaffected. More than 130 emergency workers and a dozen police officers are caring for the tourists.
Fangji has called off all entertainment activities at sea and tightened inspections on dangerous areas.
As the typhoon coincides with China's week-long National Day holiday, many tourists heading for Guangdong and Guangxi regions will have to change their plans.
Guangdong has called off sightseeing and leisure activities at sea, such as fishing. Guangxi shut down some popular attractions, including Weizhou Island, the country's largest volcanic island. The site usually draws tens of thousands of tourists during the holiday.
Guangxi suspended services of 11 high-speed trains running along the coast for 12 hours from noon on Sunday and halted ticket sales of the trains till Monday noon.
