1st LD-Writethru: Typhoon Dianmu hits southern China

Typhoon Dianmu landed in south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday afternoon, bringing torrential rain to much of the region.

This year's eighth typhoon landed in Dongli Township in the city of Leizhou at 3:40 p.m. on Thursday and is expected to bring heavy rainfall, which local authorities say could cause landslides in the region.

The typhoon is moving westward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. It is expected to sweep across the Leizhou Peninsula to the waters of the northern Beibu Gulf, according to the provincial weather service.

Heavy rainfall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday caused precipitation to rise more than 200 mm in parts of Guangdong, with a monitoring station in the city of Zhanjiang reporting nearly 300 mm.

Provincial authorities have dispatched teams to step up flood prevention efforts in rain-battered locations.

In Zhanjiang, boats were ordered back to harbor by 2 p.m. Thursday. Local maritime authorities have also put 11 tugboats and salvage boats and one helicopter on standby for emergencies.

More rain and gales are expected through Friday, when the typhoon is set to make landfall again in north Vietnam.

In the island province of Hainan, more than 40,000 people had been evacuated as of 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the provincial headquarters for droughts, floods and typhoons.

Trains to and from the island as well as high-speed trains that loop around the island have all halted service. Shipping services across the Qiongzhou Strait have been suspended, and some flights have also been canceled.

In Hainan's capital, Haikou, local meteorological authorities issued a red alert at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Strong rain has caused urban flooding and most public transportation has been suspended.

In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the regional meteorological authorities have issued a blue alert for the typhoon and a blue warning for downpours.

Many cities and counties in Guangxi are already experiencing downpours, and more are forecast to hit the south of the region.

China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Endi