Typhoon Dianmu hits southern China

GUANGZHOU - Typhoon Dianmu landed in Dongli township, city of Leizhou, southern China's Guangdong province, at 3:40 pm on Thursday.

The typhoon is moving westward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. It is expected to sweep across the Leizhou Peninsula to the waters of the northern Beibu Gulf, according to the provincial weather service.

Dianmu is already bringing heavy downpours to provinces in the south.

In the island province of Hainan, more than 40,000 people were evacuated by 6 am Thursday, according to the provincial headquarters against droughts, floods and typhoons.

Trains in and out of the island as well as island-looping high-speed trains have all halted services. Shipping services across the Qiongzhou Strait have been suspended, while some flights have also been canceled.

In Hainan's capital Haikou, local meteorological authorities issued a red alert at 8 am on Thursday. Strong rain has caused city flooding, with most public transport suspended.

In Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the regional meteorological authorities have issued a blue alert for the typhoon and a blue warning for downpours.

Many cities and counties in Guangxi are already experiencing downpours, and more are forecast to hit the south of the region.

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