Typhoon Wipha to affect Hainan Island

Typhoon Wipha is forecast to land on the coastal areas between Wenchang at eastern Hainan Island and Zhanjiang of Guangdong province during Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, according to the Hainan Meteorological Bureau.

The tropical cyclone in the South China Sea strengthened to become this year's seventh typhoon –Wipha - at 8 am on Wednesday, and it is moving northwest at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour with a growing intensity, the bureau said.

It is forecast to land on the coastal areas between Wenchang at eastern Hainan Island and Zhanjiang of Guangdong province during Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, at a maximum force 8 --18 meters per second.

After landing, Wipha will run across the Leizhou Peninsula and move into the Beibu Gulf during the daytime on Thursday.

It will land again along the coastal areas between Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and northern Vietnam during Thursday night to Friday morning.

Shipping and railway services crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, the water channel that links Hainan with the Chinese mainland, have been grounded since 7 am on Wednesday.

The provincial authorities have made calls to relevant departments to make good preparation and emergency rescue measures against damage caused by Typhoon Wipha.