Storm No. 3 Wipha made landfall on the afternoon of July 20 with the strongest wind near the center reaching level 11 (equivalent to 33m/s).
It is forecasted that after making landfall, the storm will move west-southwest at a speed of about 20-25 km/h towards the Gulf of Tonkin.
At Shenzhen Port (Nam Son District), customs clearance and operation activities have been temporarily suspended to ensure safety, according to Xinhua.
As of the afternoon of July 20, Typhoon Wipha has caused serious disruptions to flights in the Hong Kong and South China regions.
About 400-500 flights per day at Hong Kong airport were canceled or delayed, affecting about 80,000 passengers.
At Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Macau airports, all flights during the day are suspended.
Cathay Pacific has canceled all flights from 5am to 6pm and offer free ticket changes, while Thai Airways has also had to cancel a series of flights between Bangkok - Hong Kong and Guangzhou for two days 20-21.
Not only are aviation operations affected, but some high-speed trains and railways in the Hong Kong - Guangdong region are also interrupted.
High-speed train services along the coast and in open sections such as between Shenzhen and Zhuhai have had to stop running or operate only to ensure safety when storms make landfall.
In Hong Kong, most ferries have been suspended due to high waves and the risk of major storms. The suspension also takes into account inter-provincial ferry routes such as between Taiwan - Hong Kong - Macau, which were forced to cancel or delay significantly on July 20.
The Hong Kong - Chu Hai - Macau bridge also closed early on July 20 to cope with high tides and big waves.
Faced with the strong impact of Typhoon Wipha - with winds of more than 167 km/h and more than 110mm of rain in just a few hours in Hong Kong - local authorities have issued a highest level warning (Level 10 signal), and announced the closure of Disneyland and other theme parks.
Travelers should proactively follow the official announcement from airlines, railways or ferry ports; consider postponing flights and changing tickets if possible.
Prepare all documents, monitor flight updates, train/ ferry times. Reserve time for your trip if you have to travel in an area affected by storms.
