Storm Tapah hits Southern China, forcing evacuations, school shutdowns

Schools closed, flights were disrupted and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in southern China as Tropical Storm Tapah made landfall on Monday.

The economic hub of Guangdong province near Hong Kong halted some train and ferry services ahead of the storm, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Dozens of scenic areas were closed and some 60,000 people were evacuated across the region by Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

CCTV said the storm made landfall around the coastal area of Taishan city in Guangdong at around 8:50 am local time, with maximum sustained winds near its centre reaching 30 metres (98 feet) per second.

Hong Kong's observatory raised its No. 8 storm signal on Sunday night, the third-highest in the city's weather system. It said Tapah was packing maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 68 miles (110 km) per hour at 9 am.

The financial hub saw about 100 flights cancelled, with some travellers sleeping on chairs as they waited for travel information at the airport.

Police said a runway at the airport was closed after an HK Express plane from Beijing hit the grass during landing. Smoke was reportedly seen coming from its landing gear at one point, they said. No injuries were reported and it was unclear whether the incident was weather-related, they added.

Three people were injured in the storm and sent to hospitals for treatment. The government received about over 100 reports of toppled trees and two flooding cases in the city, with hundreds of people seeking refuge in temporary centres. Court hearings were suspended.

In the Chinese casino hub of Macao, minor flooding occurred in some areas, Hong Kong-based broadcaster TVB reported.