Typhoon Haima makes landfall in China

China had earlier issued a red alert and closed down offices, businesses and schools in the southern city of Shenzhen.

People are sprayed by water from a crashing wave as they stand next to a coastal barrier as Typhoon Haima approaches Hong Kong during a typhoon signal eight warning on Friday.

Typhoon Haima made a landfall in south China’s Guangdong Province triggering sudden downpours in several cities even as authorities rushed to issue warnings against floods, landslides and other weather-related disasters.

At least five counties and cities in Guangdong experienced heavy rainfall on Friday night, state run Xinhua news agency reported.

Haima made a landfall in Shanwei in the province on Friday, according to information released by local meteorological services.

It has weakened as it travelled further north, it said.

Shanwei disaster relief office said gales and rain from the typhoon has caused 59 dike ruptures, damaged 21 dam gates and 179 water facilities.

A shoe factory was inundated in nearby Huizhou city trapping 21 people inside. They were transferred to a safer location after rescue operations were conducted.

Heavy rainfall has been forecast for the last two days in several cities.

He Guoqing, a senior official with the provincial disaster relief office, warned that the water level at most of the province’s dam were at dangerous levels and the ground especially on mountain slopes, was still saturated from the last typhoon.

China had earlier issued a red alert and closed down offices, businesses and schools in the southern city of Shenzhen.