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3rd LD-Writethru: Typhoon Nida continues to affect south China

Xinhua, August 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Typhoon Nida, which made landfall at 3:35 a.m. at Dapeng Peninsula in the city of Shenzhen, has caused direct economic losses estimated at 288 million yuan (43 million U.S. dollars), according to Guangdong's provincial department of civil affairs.

Nida brought strong winds and rain to the eastern part of Guangdong Province and the Pearl River Delta region on Tuesday, the provincial meteorological station said.

About 22,000 people were evacuated as the typhoon destroyed 4,860 hectares of crops and damaged 485 houses, the department said.

This is the strongest typhoon to hit the Pearl River Delta since 1983, said He Guoqing, deputy director of the office of Guangdong provincial flood control headquarters.

Nearly 200 trains were suspended Tuesday, according to Nanning Railway Bureau. Trains from Guangzhou to Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, were among those suspended.

Nida entered Guangxi via the city of Wuzhou around 5 p.m. and is moving northwest at 20 km per hour. It is expected to sweep across the counties of Cangwu, Zhaoping, and Mengshan and the cities of Liuzhou and Hechi in the following 24 hours, according to the regional meteorological station of Guangxi.

In Cangwu County, where a 5.4-magnitude earthquake damaged houses on Sunday afternoon, officials have been checking buildings and relocating villagers .

As Nida brought gales and heavy rain to the region, Guangxi closed most tourist attractions, including those on Weizhou Island, a large volcanic island which draws tens of thousands of tourists on holidays.

Passenger ships along the coastal areas of the region were also suspended on Tuesday. Several flights were delayed or canceled, according to local airport authorities.

The local water resources bureau warned that most rivers will be swollen and some small or medium rivers are liable to flood.

On Tuesday afternoon, as Nida weakened in Guangdong, flights at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport resumed. More delays were expected. Flights at Shenzhen airport resumed at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Train services in Guangzhou and Shenzhen started to recover Tuesday afternoon.

All passenger ships across Qiongzhou Strait, between Hainan and Guangdong, resumed service 1 p.m., according to the local maritime department.

As of Tuesday noon, no casualties had been reported in Guangdong.

Nida is predicted to affect southwest China's Yunnan Province on Wednesday and Thursday.

Heavy rain is forecast for Yunnan, which has raised fears of floods and landslides, the provincial meteorological bureau said, warning residents in mountainous areas to take precautions. Endi