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Tropical storm hits China's Hainan, flights and ferries suspended

People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China. - Reuters
 
People watch waves crashing against the shore as Tropical Storm Maysak approaches in Boao, Qionghai, Hainan province, China. - Reuters

BEIJING: Tropical ​Storm Maysak ​lashed southern China's island province of Hainan on Friday, making landfall with maximum winds near its centre of 23 metres per second and forcing ⁠flight, rail and ferry suspensions.
* Maysak ⁠hit Hainan's southeastern coast at around 6:20 pm (1020 GMT), China's National Meteorological Center said.
* ‌The storm is expected ​to bring ⁠torrential rain to Hainan, as well ​as Guangdong, Guizhou and ‌Hunan provinces and the Guangxi region.
* In Hainan, some ​areas could see rainfall up to 350 mm within 24 hours, the national weather forecaster said.
* Hainan's Sanya Phoenix International Airport ‌suspended takeoffs and landings from 5 pm, ​after 92 flights were cancelled by 11:30 am, ​while ‌all ⁠round-island high-speed rail services were halted on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
* Passenger ​ferry services across the ⁠Qiongzhou Strait ​were suspended from 2 am and were expected to remain halted for one to two days.
* Authorities urged stepped-up monitoring ​and evacuations from risk areas, calling ​flood prevention tasks 'severe and complex.' - Reuters