Haima, the fourth tropical storm of the year, made its second landfall over the coast of southern China's Guangdong province on Thursday evening.
Haima had already landed in southern China's Guangdong Province by 10 a.m. Thursday, China News Service reported, citing the National Meteorological Center.
The coastal area of Guangdong province and the north region of Hainan Island received 10-40 millimeters of rain brought by Haima. Rainfall in some parts of Hainan reached as high as 60-120 millimeters. Moreover, 8-10 level gales landed in coastal areas of Guangdong Province.
The National Meteorological Center forecasted that over a 24-hour period a round of downpours would sweep Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan Provinces in south China. In addition, central China's Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces and northern China's Hebei Province and Beijing would be battered by rainstorms.
Haima is the second storm to make landfall on the coast of Guangdong this year. The National Meteorological Center warned the rainstorms may trigger geological disasters such as floods and landslides in some areas.
Sarika, the year's third tropical storm, landed in south China's Guangdong Province on June 11, becoming the first to hit the nation this year, bringing heavy rains and floods to several provinces and municipalities.
Heavy rains batter Beijing
Beijing embraced a heavy downpour and hailstorms at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, which could be its heaviest rain this year, China News Service reported.
Rainfall reached 50 millimeters in some areas of the capital city, according to the municipality’s Meteorological Center. The rain also caused water accumulation downtown.
The rain will bring cool fresh air to the capital city in the next two days, the report said.
Tourists detained in Hainan by storms
More than 300 tourists were detained in Hainan because of heavy downpours and hailstorms brought by Haima, China News Service reported Thursday.
All ship routes on the Qiongzhou Straits were closed at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday as a gale buffeted the island. Some train routes including Sanya to Guangzhou and Sanya to Beijing were also stopped or delayed.
Hainan Meilan International Airport resumed operation Thursday. Sanya Phoenix International Airport was not affected, the report said.
More rain will batter the island the next day, the provincial Meteorological Center predicted.
Coastal regions may be hit by storm tide
The southeast coast of China may encounter three to four destructive storm tides in 2011, increasing the risks of marine disasters, the National Marine Environment Forecast Center (NMEFC) said Wednesday, xinhuanet reported.
A storm tide, also known as a storm surge, is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone or strong extratropical cyclone. These storms cause high winds that batter the ocean's surface, creating massive waves.
The storm tide is the most serious marine disaster to influence China's coastal regions, which often causes casualties and property loss. Central China's Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Provinces, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta are easy targets for the tides.
Marine disasters – including storm surges, extreme waves, sea ice and red tides – have hit China's coastal areas hard in the past. In 2008, a severe storm surge triggered by Typhoon Hagupit swept over south China's Guangdong Province, killing 26 people and inflicting a direct economic loss of tens of billions of yuan.
Marine disaster warning measures will be tightened for nuclear plants and other key projects in China's coastal areas, according to the NMEFC.
Guangzhou Daily reported Wednesday that Meari, the fifth tropical storm of the year, had already formed even as Haima made landfall. It did not say if or when Meari would land in China.
