Typhoon Merbok slashes its way into S China

Guangdong province is taking preventive measures to minimize losses from a looming typhoon.

The eye of Typhoon Merbok, this year's second but the first to hit China, was above the South China Sea some 90 kilometers south of Shenzhen at 6 pm on Monday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Packing winds up to 90 kilometers per hour, Merbok moved northwest at a speed of 20 km/h and made landfall on the coast between Taishan and Shenzhen on Monday night.

The Shenzhen weather observatory issued a yellow alert for Merbok at 1 pm on Monday. Schools have been suspended.

China Southern Airlines announced the cancellation of 23 flights to and from Shenzhen after 10 pm on Monday.

From 8 pm on Monday to 8 pm on Tuesday, the northern parts of South China Sea and the central and eastern coasts of Guangdong will experience strong gusts, while storms dumping up to 200 millimeters of rain are expected to affect the central and eastern parts of Guangdong, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

Rains brought by Merbok will last until Friday and affect the provinces of Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan, said Dong Lin, chief forecaster at the center.

"Merbok will bring very strong gusts. The intensity of winds will abate when the eye of the typhoon passes, but strong gusts may make a sudden comeback, so people should remain sheltered," Dong warned.

All the boats on waters east of Yangjiang had returned to harbor by 5 pm on Sunday. The provincial government required coastal tourist areas to close and transfer tourists to safe areas.

"The continuous rains also increase the risk of mountain floods in the Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region," Dong added.

Merbok will intensify the rainstorms that hit China's southern and eastern regions over the weekend.

Continuous torrential rain since Friday has left 120,000 people with damaged property in Guizhou, according to Xinhua News Agency. Heavy rain forced the evacuation of 1,079 people and caused direct economic losses estimated at 48.7 million yuan ($7.16 million).