Tropical Storm Maysak lashed southern China’s island province of Hainan on Friday, making landfall along the southwestern coast around 6:20 p.m. with maximum winds near its center of 23 meters per second (51 mph).
The National Meteorological Center warned that the storm is expected to bring torrential rain not only to Hainan, but also to Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces, as well as the Guangxi region. Some areas in Hainan could see up to 350 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period.
The severe weather forced widespread transport disruptions across the region, prompting state broadcaster CCTV to report that Sanya Phoenix International Airport suspended all takeoffs and landings starting at 5:00 p.m. following 92 flight cancellations earlier in the day.
Additionally, all round-island high-speed rail services were halted on Friday, and passenger ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait were suspended early Friday morning with expectations to remain shut down for up to two days. Describing the ongoing flood prevention challenges as severe and complex, authorities have urged local officials to step up monitoring efforts and initiate evacuations from high-risk areas.
