Hainan Typhoon: Son-Tinh makes landfall in southern China

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01:33

It's typhoon season in southern China and the latest one, known as Son-Tinh, hit the island province of Hainan on Wednesday morning. The local meteorological authority said it's now moving slowly towards the southern coast of Guangdong province. CGTN's XING RUINAN has more.

Son-Tinh struck Wanning City in southern China's Hainan province just before five o'clock Wednesday morning.

During the day, the island's residents have been forced to cope with winds of up to 18 metres per second.

Shipping in the Qiongzhou Straits -- which separates Hainan from the Leizhou peninsula on the mainland -- had to be halted.

The last passenger ship left Haikou port on Tuesday afternoon.

Hainan's local government was prepared for the worst, however securing plants and checking huge draining systems in advance.

LI JITAO DEPUTY DIRECTOR, LONGHUA NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE "Major personnel are on 24-hour-duty right here."

As it inches towards the mainland, authorities hope the worst is over. And it's so far, so good, with no reports yet of any major destruction or loss of personal property, and if that wasn't enough, it's also brought much needed precipitation to the region.

LOCAL METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL "Typhoon Son-Tinh will ease the drought across Hainan province this summer."

The tropical storm is expected to bring heavy rains to many areas of Hainan well into Thursday.