Train services affected as Typhoon Khanun approaches South China

HAIKOU - High-speed train services in China's southernmost province of Hainan will suspend starting from early Sunday as Khanun, the 20th typhoon of this year, is expected to make landfall.

Since Saturday evening, the winds have strengthened to 24.5 to 36.9 meters per second in the Qiongzhou Strait.

Yuehai Railway and Hainan Maritime Safety Administration confirmed that the ferries on the strait, which connect the island province of Hainan with Guangdong Province, were suspended on Saturday morning.

Trains running between Sanya, a resort city in Hainan, and Beijing would also be affected.

Train services between Sanya or Haikou, capital of Hainan, and cities of Shanghai, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Changchun and Harbin will be halted from October 14 to 17.

Passengers who have bought tickets for the affected services can change their dates or apply for refunds, local railway authorities said.

The 18th and 19th typhoons, Talim and Doksuri, brought torrential rain and gales to Hainan and other coastal provinces in southern China last month.