Typhoon Mitag makes landfall in South China's Guangdong, forcing school closures, transport halts

GUANGZHOU -- Typhoon Mitag, the 17th typhoon of this year, made landfall in south China's Guangdong province at about 2:50 pm Friday, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.

The typhoon, with the maximum wind force near its center reaching 25 meters per second, churned ashore at Shanwei City in Guangdong.

Meteorological authorities forecast that Mitag will continue moving to the northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour and gradually weaken as it moves inland.

In Shanwei, the municipal education bureau ordered all schools and off-campus training institutions to suspend classes on Friday. Similar closures were announced in several districts of the neighboring Huizhou City, affecting kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools.

According to railway authorities, all trains on the Hangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway were halted from 5 p.m., while services on the Ningbo-Guangzhou high-speed line stopped at 6 p.m. Operations on both lines are expected to resume at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the city of Zhuhai, 11 coastal tourist attractions have been closed. Maritime passenger transport services have also been suspended.