Over 1 lakh evacuated in Chinese city due to torrential rains

Torrential rains continued to lash southern Chinese city of Shenzhen after Typhoon Merbok made landfall, forcing evacuation of over one lakh people and disrupting flight operations.
From yesterday to today morning, Shenzhen city reported average precipitation of 81 mm, with 219 mm reported in the region where the typhoon landed, the city's flood control and drought relief headquarters said.
Those evacuated include people who work outdoors and many living in old and at-risk houses and prefabricated structures.
A total of 2,198 fishing boats returned to ports to take shelter from the storm. In addition, 232 flights were cancelled in Shenzhen.

The city has not received reports of casualties and major losses, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
As heavy rains continued, the headquarters ordered more measures to guarantee the safety of construction sites, migrant workers, reservoirs, sea dikes and underground space.
Typhoon Merbok, the second typhoon of the year, made landfall in Shenzhen yesterday, according to the National Meteorological Center.
The typhoon was reduced to a tropical storm after making landfall, packing maximum winds of 23 meters per second at its eye.