Threat of Typhoon Megi subsides in Hainan, train service resumed

Railway authorities resumed train services into and out of south China's Hainan Province, as the influence of typhoon Megi might weaken to the island, said a spokesman for Haikou Railway Station Wednesday.

According to the forecast of Hainan Meteorological Bureau, it would bring less influence to Hainan than the previous forecast.

Trains heading from Beijing and Guangzhou to Sanya, the provincial terminal on the southern tip of Hainan for transprovincial trains, or trains setting off from Sanya had been put back into service since 3 p.m Wednesday, said a spokesman for Haikou railway station.

All trains setting off from Sanya to other provinces were canceled from service since Oct. 19, while trains heading from other provinces to Sanya stopped at Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, which is in the north of Hainan. The two provinces are separated by Qiongzhou Strait.

However, super typhoon Megi will strengthen appreciably. It might land as a severe typhoon on the central and eastern coast on Guangdong Province around Saturday, said the Central Meteorologic Observatory in an early warning issued Wednesday for typhoon.

The observatory Wednesday also urged concerned departments to do a good job of monitoring the movement of the typhoon and giving warnings in time.

Megi is the 13th typhoon and possibly the strongest of the kind to hit China this year.

Southern provinces like Hainan, Guangdong, and Fujian are bracing for heavy rains and strong winds.

Authorities in Hainan, which was battered by heavy rains and floods earlier this month, had prepared 120 rescue vehicles and 78 inflatable boats, according to the provincial arm of the Armed Police.

More than 20,000 fishing ship in Hainan Province were called back to the harbor to take shelter from the storm. And the provincial health and civil departments have prepared 15 tonnes of disinfectant and disaster relief materials including tents, torches and food.

All provincial roads and national highways that were cut by previous mud-flows had been reopened to traffic, said Hainan Traffic Police.

A total of 20,000 cotton quilts have been sent to Hainan to help relocation of the people affected by floods.