Slow-moving Typhoon Haikui risks more damage

A resident rides through a flooded street in a community in Ningde, Fujian province, on Tuesday. Many parts of the city center were flooded due to the heavy rainfall induced by Typhoon Haikui. YE MAO/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

Typhoon Haikui made landfall in Dongshan county, Fujian province and Raoping county, Guangdong province on Tuesday, after making its way through Taiwan. The storm, bringing with it rain, wind and flooding, has so far led to two deaths and one missing.

Authorities are warning of prolonged impacts from the typhoon in some areas.

A fire engine in Yongtai county, Fujian province, was swept away by floodwaters during a rescue operation carrying nine people.

As of publication time, eight individuals have been found, including two fatalities. One is still missing, according to the county's flood and drought control headquarters.

By Monday, 114,400 people had been evacuated in Fujian province, and scenic spots, coastal ports, waterways and highways at high risk have been closed, local authorities said.

On Tuesday, the education bureaus of cities such as Fuzhou, Xiamen and Quanzhou issued notices that primary and secondary schools and kindergartens will suspend classes from Tuesday.

The Shanghai bureau of China Railway has suspended the operation of 65 passenger trains passing through several cities and counties in Fujian including Xiamen and Pingtan starting from Tuesday.

China News Service reported on Tuesday that before the landing of Haikui, the sea area east of Huizhou in Guangdong province completed an offshore evacuation with more than 27,000 fishing boats sheltered in the port and dozens of coastal areas closed.

The National Meteorological Center forecast that Haikui will continue to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the coastal areas of southern China including Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.

The areas are expected to experience persistent heavy rainfall, with the likelihood of torrential downpours in coastal areas.

The slow movement of the typhoon increases the risk of prolonged extreme weather, and the intensity of precipitation in some parts of Fujian may break local records for the same period, according to weather.com.cn.