Tropical Storm Tapah makes landfall in southern China, forcing evacuations and school closures

Audio By Carbonatix

HONG KONG (AP) — Schools closed, flights were disrupted and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in southern China as Tropical Storm Tapah made landfall Monday.

The economic hub of Guangdong province near Hong Kong halted some train and ferry services ahead of the storm, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Dozens of scenic areas were closed and some 60,000 people were evacuated across the region by Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

CCTV said the storm made landfall around the coastal area of Taishan city in Guangdong at around 8:50 a.m. local time, with maximum sustained winds near its center reaching 30 meters (98 feet) per second.

Hong Kong's observatory raised its No. 8 storm signal on Sunday night, the third-highest in the city’s weather system. It said Tapah was packing maximum sustained winds near the center of about 68 miles (110 kilometers) per hour at 9 a.m.

Before the observatory lowered its storm signal Monday afternoon, the financial hub saw about 100 flights canceled, with some travelers sleeping on chairs as they waited for travel information at the airport.

A runway at the airport was closed after an HK Express plane from Beijing hit the grass during landing. Smoke reportedly was seen coming from its landing gear at one point. No injuries were reported and it was unclear whether the incident was related to weather, police said.

Twelve people were injured in the storm and sent to hospitals for treatment. The government received over 160 reports of toppled trees and three flooding cases in the city, with hundreds of people seeking refuge in temporary centers. Court hearings were suspended.

In the Chinese casino hub of Macao, minor flooding occurred in some areas, Hong Kong-based broadcaster TVB reported.

After hitting Guangdong, the storm moved northwest toward Wuzhou city in the Guangxi region, CCTV reported.