Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200808/20080807/article_369613.htm
Storm disrupts airports, fishing
Created: 2008-8-7 1:52:38
TROPICAL storm Kammuri lashed the coast of south China's Guangdong Province at Xitou last night, battering buildings with force-10 winds and moving inland at 90 kilometers an hour.
China Southern Airlines canceled about 30 flights yesterday because of heavy rain in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Hong Kong, all in the Pearl River Delta.
A number of flights to Guangzhou and Shenzhen had to be diverted.
Shenzhen Airport authorities said heavy rain caused about 100 outbound delays, with 41 departures canceled yesterday and 30 incoming flights canceled.
There was torrential rain after the storm hit land at 7:45pm, but there were no reports yet of human casualties, said Yangjiang City flood control headquarters.
A total of 42,434 fishing boats at sea, with 157,662 people on board, had returned to shore by yesterday afternoon, said Guangdong provincial disaster authorities, and 162,791 people who had been working at sea or in other dangerous areas were evacuated.
In Yangjiang alone, 6,587 fishing boats, with 24,605 people aboard, returned to shore, and 7,274 people were evacuated.
Coast guards in Zhongshan City also helped 800 boats return to port, while 500 residents living in dangerous areas were evacuated to safe place.
More torrential rain is predicted in western Guangdong and parts of the Pearl River Delta today and tomorrow.
Huang Zhong, chief forecaster with the Guangdong Provincial Weather Observatory, said the strong tropical storm swept through Shangchuan and Hailing, two isles off the coast of Guangdong, and moved west along the coast until its landfall.
Huang predicted the storm would continue to move west along the coast as it weakened.
Kammuri appeared in the northeastern part of the South China Sea and intensified into a strong tropical storm at 8am on Tuesday.
The storm was the third to hit China this season, after tropical storm Kalmaegi in early July and typhoon Fung Wong last week.
Strong wind also caused the temporary closure of a bridge connecting Zhuhai, a coastal city in Guangdong, and the Macau Special Administrative Region yesterday.
Three ferries in Zhuhai were also pulled from service temporarily yesterday because of poor sea conditions.
Wushi Township in Leizhou Peninsula, western Guangdong, recorded 184mm of rain, the most in the province, yesterday.
China Southern Airlines canceled about 30 flights yesterday because of heavy rain in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Hong Kong, all in the Pearl River Delta.
A number of flights to Guangzhou and Shenzhen had to be diverted.
Shenzhen Airport authorities said heavy rain caused about 100 outbound delays, with 41 departures canceled yesterday and 30 incoming flights canceled.
There was torrential rain after the storm hit land at 7:45pm, but there were no reports yet of human casualties, said Yangjiang City flood control headquarters.
A total of 42,434 fishing boats at sea, with 157,662 people on board, had returned to shore by yesterday afternoon, said Guangdong provincial disaster authorities, and 162,791 people who had been working at sea or in other dangerous areas were evacuated.
In Yangjiang alone, 6,587 fishing boats, with 24,605 people aboard, returned to shore, and 7,274 people were evacuated.
Coast guards in Zhongshan City also helped 800 boats return to port, while 500 residents living in dangerous areas were evacuated to safe place.
More torrential rain is predicted in western Guangdong and parts of the Pearl River Delta today and tomorrow.
Huang Zhong, chief forecaster with the Guangdong Provincial Weather Observatory, said the strong tropical storm swept through Shangchuan and Hailing, two isles off the coast of Guangdong, and moved west along the coast until its landfall.
Huang predicted the storm would continue to move west along the coast as it weakened.
Kammuri appeared in the northeastern part of the South China Sea and intensified into a strong tropical storm at 8am on Tuesday.
The storm was the third to hit China this season, after tropical storm Kalmaegi in early July and typhoon Fung Wong last week.
Strong wind also caused the temporary closure of a bridge connecting Zhuhai, a coastal city in Guangdong, and the Macau Special Administrative Region yesterday.
Three ferries in Zhuhai were also pulled from service temporarily yesterday because of poor sea conditions.
Wushi Township in Leizhou Peninsula, western Guangdong, recorded 184mm of rain, the most in the province, yesterday.
Xinhua
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