Typhoon Chaba makes landfall in China's Guangdong

GUANGZHOU -- Chaba, the third typhoon of the year, made landfall in the coastal area of Maoming City in South China's Guangdong province at around 3 pm Saturday.

According to the provincial meteorological department, Chaba will move northwest at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour, pass through Maoming, and enter Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Saturday night.

Intense downpours and rainstorms are expected to lash the western part of the Pearl River Delta over the weekend, while the seas off Guangdong will experience strong gusts of up to about 160 km per hour, according to the meteorological forecast.

The provincial government has upgraded its emergency response level for typhoons to Level II, the second-highest, effective 8:30 am Saturday.

The regional government of Guangxi has also upgraded the emergency response level to Level II from Saturday noon and sent working groups to disaster-prone areas.

Rainstorms, with maximum precipitation expected to reach 600 mm, have been forecast to hit most parts of Guangxi from Saturday to Thursday.

South China's island province of Hainan earlier upgraded its emergency response level for Typhoon Chaba to Level II and halted railway and flight services. All scenic spot activities, maritime entertainment, and aerial sightseeing activities have also been suspended.