Typhoon Mirinae makes landfall in S. China, passenger ship and train services halted

Typhoon Mirinae made landfall in south China's Hainan Province on Tuesday night as the National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a blue-alert.

Mirinae, China's third typhoon this year, landed in Dongao Town, Wanning City at 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, packing winds of up to 100.8 km per hour, said the Hainan provincial meteorological observatory.

More than 25,000 fishing vessels in Hainan returned to harbor ahead of the storm.

All passenger ships across the Qiongzhou Strait, between Hainan and Guangdong, were ordered to stop service as of Tuesday noon out of safety concerns, said local transport authorities.

Meanwhile, trains in and out of Hainan were also stopped due to the suspension of the train ferry service.

Heavy rain on Tuesday night is expected to affect over 20 flights at Meilan Airport in Haikou, capital of Hainan, according to the airport operator.

The typhoon will bring gales and torrential rain to Hainan, the Leizhou Peninsula, Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

(APD)