Super typhoon Rammasun landed in Wengchang city in China ’s Hainan island province on July 18 afternoon, killing at least one and damaging many houses.

Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying that the typhoon packed winds of up to 216 km per hour, becoming the strongest of its kind hitting Hainan province in 40 years.

More than 70,000 residents near the landfall region have been evacuated while all airports, train and bus stations and ports have been closed. Over 6,900 passengers have been affected after 184 flights were canceled.

The provincial tourism bureau has issued an urgent circular, requiring all tourism resorts to close and tour bus companies to suspend operation from 1 pm on July 18 to 4 pm on July 19.

China ’s top meteorological authority forecast that Rammasun will continue to rage through the weekend before it starts weakening on July 21.

It also warned that the typhoon may make landfall in the coastal areas of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China in July 18 night.

Meanwhile, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces will see heavy rains in the next two days.-VNA