The typhoon brought strong winds of up to 144 kilometres (89 miles) per hour to the eastern and western areas of Guangdong, where it was centred at Huidong county, the Xinhua news agency cited the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Observatory as saying.

It also brought heavy rains to southern and western Guangdong, it said.

Primary and middle schools in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shanwei cities were closed and all fishing boats called to return to port.

Hong Kong, adjoining Guangdong, had been braced for the typhoon Tuesday with its third-highest alert, a number eight signal, raised mid-afternoon.

TERRA.WIRE