Typhoon Krovanh moved into south China's Guangdong and Hainan
provinces yesterday, the 12th typhoon to hit China this year.
Krovanh arrived in southern Guangdong at about 6:30 am
yesterday.
It continued west and reached the Leizhou Peninsula five hours
later. It then travelled to waters south of the Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region.
Maritime transport across the Qiongzhou Straits was stopped at 6
am on Sunday and had still not resumed by last night, according to
sources.
But flights from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to
Hainan and to Zhanjiang in southwestern Guangdong did not stop
until 10 pm on Sunday. They had resumed by 3:20 pm yesterday.
Zhanjiang prepared fully to fight the typhoon in a bid to
minimize losses.
Some 16,000 vessels safely berthed in the harbour. Another 415
vessels anchored in harbours elsewhere because they were out at sea
and could not sail back to Zhanjiang in time.
Moreover, 13,445 mainly elderly, poor or disabled residents
living in ramshackle houses in Zhangjiang were transferred to safe
locations.
By noon yesterday, the wind in southwestern Guangdong blew at
between force 7 and 10. The wind in areas hit by the eye of the
typhoon was force 12.
Guangdong's capital city Guangzhou was also affected by Typhoon
Krovanh, with showers and lower temperatures, even though the city
is about 400 kilometres away from the eye of the typhoon.
The typhoon also affected most regions in northern Hainan
Province, the island province south of Guangdong, yesterday. It
injured three people and caused serious economic losses.
Hundreds of hectares of fish farms were flooded and many ships
in harbour were destroyed by the typhoon.
(China Daily August 26, 2003)