Typhoon Hato lands in south China

Hato, the 13th typhoon to hit China this year, made landfall in the city of Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong Province at noon Wednesday, bringing gales of up to 45 meters per second.

Hato will move west and scale down to a tropical storm passing Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday night, the National Meteorological Center said.

A Chinese commuter struggles with his umbrella in heavy rain and strong wind caused by typhoon Hato on a road in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong province, 23 August 2017. [Photo: IC]

As of 5 p.m., no casualties were reported in Guangdong Province.

So far, 13 cities and counties in Guangdong have issued red alerts for the typhoon.

Gales and downpours have suspended work, classes, and production in the cities of Zhuhai, Jiangmen and Zhongshan. Several expressways have also been closed.

Initial investigation showed the typhoon blew down over 2,000 trees, damaged signs, railings and fences on roads in the province.

Power supplies were disrupted in some areas but as of 3 p.m. had been partially restored.

Huge wave caused by typhoon Hato hits a dock in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong province, 23 August 2017. [Photo: IC]

As the typhoon moves westward, neighboring provinces have also been affected. Flights were disrupted in Guangxi and rail services delayed or canceled in Yunnan Province.

The typhoon will also bring heavy rain to central China's Hunan Province, the provincial flood control headquarters warned on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, thousands of people were evacuated in parts of south China in preparation for the arrival of Hato.

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