Typhoon Rammasun strikes South China

Super typhoon Rammasun, the strongest to hit South China since 1973, made landfall in Wenchang, South China's Hainan Province on Friday afternoon, and continued to ravage Guangdong Province on Friday evening.

According to the National Meteorological Center, the typhoon landed in Wenchang packing rainstorms and winds of up to 60 meters per second and the lowest central atmospheric pressure dropped to 910 hectopascals.

The meteorological center forecast that some of the coastal areas in Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region would have to sustain gales and heavy rainstorms until Sunday. The rainfall is expected to surpass 600 millimeters in some of the regions.

Rammasun strengthens to super typhoon

HAIKOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Rammasun has strengthened to a super typhoon and is expected to make landfall in south China's island province of Hainan or coastal area of Guangdong Province on Friday afternoon, Hainan provincial meteorological station said on Friday.

Rammasun packing rainstorms and winds of up to 180 km per hour, is moving northwest at a speed of 20 to 25 km per hour and will probably land in Qionghai City of Hainan or Dianbai District, Maoming City of Guangdong, according to the station's forecast.

Central and Southwest China: Concern for ancient buildings after floods

Concerns have been raised over the protection of historic towns as persistent downpours in Central and Southwest China have flooded Fenghuang, a renowned tourism destination in Hunan Province.

More than 120,000 people were relocated amid power cuts in Fenghuang on Wednesday.

Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

MANILA: The death toll from the first typhoon of the Philippines' rainy season climbed to at least 27 on Thursday, authorities said, as millions in the capital and elsewhere endured a second day without power.

As Typhoon Rammasun moved further towards southern China, streets across Manila remained littered with fallen trees, branches and electrical posts while repairmen struggled to restore power services.

The head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Alexander Pama, said that his agency had confirmed 20 fatalities as of late Wednesday, but he expected the death toll to rise with more reports coming in.

Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations

MANILA - Philippine authorities evacuated almost 150,000 people from their homes and shuttered financial markets, government offices, businesses and schools on Wednesday as typhoon Rammasun gathered strength and hit the capital, Manila.
The typhoon, the strongest to hit the country this year, has already torn through eastern islands, toppling trees and power lines and causing blackouts. On Wednesday, it brought storm surges to the Manila Bay area and prompted disaster officials to evacuate slum-dwellers on the capital's outskirts.