Downpours brought by tropical storm Pabuk in south China's Guangdong Province has caused flooding across the province, affecting about 1.2 million people and toppling down more than 3,000 houses.

A total of 1.165 million people in the cities of Zhanjiang, Maoming and Meizhou were affected, 3,665 houses destroyed, while economic losses were estimated to be 1.342 billion yuan, the Guangdong provincial flood control headquarters said on Sunday.

A total of 5,920 people who had been stranded by flood in Zhanjiang have been rescued by Sunday.

Water levels in five medium-sized reservoirs in Zhanjiang were above the warning lines, while another reservoir overflowed twice.

Twenty-seven hydrologic stations in Guangdong Province recorded a daily perception of more than 100 mm, and 104 stations with daily perception between 50-100 mm. A hydrologic station in Huizhou even recorded a daily perception of 247 mm, said an official with the Guangdong hydrologic bureau.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 workers are repairing the rails on a section of Yuehai Railway, China's first cross-strait railway linking Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, to Haikou on the island province of Hainan. The railway was destroyed by torrential currents which inundated the rail-bed and distorted rails.

Pabuk, which landed in Hong Kong Friday afternoon, has brought moderate precipitation to southeastern coastal provinces of China, offering temporary relief to the lingering drought there.

Downpours and rainstorms were recorded in Wenzhou and Taizhou of Zhejiang Province that have suffered more than 20 days of sweltering heat.

Heavy rains also brought relief to 65,500 thirty people and 30,300 hectares of scorched farmland in Fujian Province.

As Pabuk and the eighth tropical storm Wutip are fading away, three more tropical storms would form in a few days to come, and two of them might hit south and southeast coastal areas of China, said the National Meteorological Center of China.  (Source : www.chinaview.cn)

workers are trying their best to clear and repair the Guangdong-Hainan Railway

Zhanjiang hit by worst downpour in 200 years

Typhoon Pabuk has wreaked havoc in this coastal Zhanjiang city of South China, bringing in the heaviest showers in two centuries.

Heavy rainfall has affected 1.17 million people in Zhanjiang and cities of Maoming and Meizhou, and caused an economic loss of 1.34 billion yuan ($176 million), Xinhua reported yesterday.

Floods have damaged a long stretch of the Zhanjiang-Leizhou Highway and the Guangdong-Hainan Railway, forcing the cancellation of a number of trains.

The Tangjia Township in Leizhou has been the worst hit, receiving 739 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, the heaviest in 200 years.

Intermittent showers pushed up water levels to record highs in two dams in Leizhou yesterday. The water levels in five Zhanjiang reservoirs have crossed the danger mark.

Water in the Dawan reservoir was threatening to overflow, forcing relief workers to dig channels to bring the level down at the weekend.

Shipping services in the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan were suspended for more than 10 hours before being resumed yesterday morning.

Despite the grim situation, no death or missing case was reported till yesterday, said Chen Xiangsheng, director of the news office of Zhanjiang municipal government.

"Mudslides have damaged and blocked the Zhanjiang section of the Guangdong-Hainan Railway, and it's not certain when the line can be reopened," Chen said. The Guangdong-Hainan Railway is China's first cross-sea line that connects Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, with Haikou, capital of the island province of Hainan.

More than 700 workers are trying their best to clear and repair the tracks. (Source : China Daily; By: Qiu Quanlin)

Editor: Yan