Typhoon Wipha lands on Hainan

Typhoon Wipha, which landed in the town of Wengtian in Wenchang, northeastern Hainan, early Thursday morning, is moving northwest and forecast to reach the Beibu Gulf on Thursday, according to the Hainan Meteorological Observatory.

Wipha brought strong winds and heavy rain to northern parts of Hainan, including Wenchang, Haikou, Chengmai and Lingao, grounding land and sea traffic, affecting the lives of locals and damaging crops.

No casualties have been reported however, said local authorities.

The Hainan Meteorological Observatory said Wipha was more powerful than expected and that it is leaving Hainan for the Leizhou Peninsula, before moving into the Beibu Gulf daytime Thursday.

Statistics from the observatory said that from 2-5 am there was a maximum precipitation of 214.3 millimeters in Jinshan, Wenchang and 207.5 millimeters in Haixiu, Haikou, capital of Hainan province.

The total rainfall in the five hours since Wipha hit Hainan has exceeded the standard of mega-torrential rain, which has been in place for 50 years.

As of 8:30 am, most public traffic remained at a standstill in Haikou, and municipal and traffic police officers are doing their best to cope with conditions.

Shipping and railway services crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, the water channel that links Hainan with the Chinese mainland, have been grounded since 7 am Wednesday, but airline traffic has operated as normal, according to provincial authorities.

Qiongsha No 3, a commercial supply ship with 34 crew members, was stranded near Dongjiao after drifting about 200 meters from Qinglan Port due to a broken cable.

No damage has been found onboard. The crew is safe and rescue work is underway.