Typhoon Mulan makes landfall in South China

GUANGZHOU -- Typhoon Mulan, the seventh typhoon of the year, made landfall in the coastal areas of Xuwen county in Zhanjiang city, South China's Guangdong province, at around 10:50 am Wednesday as a tropical storm, according to the Guangdong Meteorological Service.

The typhoon is expected to move in a north-west direction at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour, before entering the Beibu Gulf Wednesday afternoon, with its intensity gradually weakening.

The meteorological department predicted that there will be heavy wind and rain in Guangdong between Wednesday and Thursday morning.

The center suggested that ships and boats should take shelter in harbors, while advising the relevant areas to take measures to prevent torrential floods and geological disasters.

Schedules of several high-speed rail lines and flights in Guangdong have been temporarily adjusted, and customs clearance has been suspended at relevant ports.

As of 8 am, all flights at Zhanjiang Wuchuan Airport were canceled.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for typhoons with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.