?Typhoon Wipha pummels Guangdong province

Typhoon Wipha wreaked havoc in major cities in the Pearl River Delta and on Guangdong province's western coast, forcing about 670,000 residents to be evacuated to safety when it battered the southern province on Sunday.

Wipha made landfall in Taishan, Guangdong, at 5:50 pm on Sunday, bringing gale-force winds with a speed of more than 118 kilometers per hour. After landing, Wipha weakened from typhoon level to a severe tropical storm.

Wipha made a second landfall on Yangjiang's Hai­ling island at 8:15 pm, accompanied by winds of 90 km/h.

The raging storms and strong gales that accompanied Wipha paralyzed traffic in Guangzhou, Shen­zhen, Zhuhai and major cities in Guangdong, known as the southern gateway of the country, authorities said on Sunday.

Airports in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region saw large-scale flight cancellations and delays since Saturday afternoon, airport authorities said.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link — the two major transportation channels that cross the estuary of the Pearl River, linking eastern city clusters to those in western Guangdong — were temporarily closed early Sunday morning to ensure the safety of the two mega structures' operation.

Due to the extreme weather, railway authorities also suspended on Sunday the operation of the intercity services between Guangzhou and Shenzhen and between Guangzhou and Zhuhai, as well as some high-speed train services linking Guangdong's typhoon-hit cities.

The Huangmaohai cross-sea bridge in Jiangmen was also temporarily closed on Sunday.

The Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan provinces, for which shipping services were suspended on Sunday morning, may face suspension of such operations until Tuesday.

In Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority said that 33 people had been treated for storm-related injuries by 7:40 pm on Sunday, while 277 people reportedly sought shelter at 34 temporary shelters opened across the city. There were more than 700 reports of fallen trees by 8 pm.

Authorities forecast that Haikou, the capital of Hainan province, could experience severe waterlogging, while Guangdong was bracing for strong thunderstorms, gales and tidal waves on Monday, authorities said.

Hainan upgraded its flood control and typhoon emergency response on Sunday to Level III, the third highest of a four-tier system, requiring all its fishing boats to return to typhoon shelters.

Wipha, the sixth typhoon this year, has also caused the temporary closure of at least 52 coastal scenic spots in major cities in Guangdong.

On Sunday, many cities in Guangdong ordered a halt to production, construction and business till further notice, and also suspended classes.

Lin Lizhen, a resident of Zhongshan, said the gale was so strong that many pedestrians were swept along the streets by the winds.

Guangdong's department of water conservancy warned that some rivers in Guangdong's central and southern areas will experience increases of 2 to 5 meters in water levels, with some hydrological stations likely to exceed safety levels.

Cities affected by Wipha have been urged to introduce effective and concrete measures to prevent and cope with possible geological hazards, including landslides, torrential flooding, and the collapse of coastal, river or reservoir dikes, according to a statement released by the Guangdong department of water conservancy.

The department also warned that the cities of Enping, Yangjiang, Maoming and Luoding in western Guangdong were at high risk of mountain torrents in the days ahead.

The Guangdong Meteorological Service said that Guangdong's major cities in the Pearl River Delta and on the western coast are expected to be struck by heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, with local torrential downpours.