The Latest: Typhoon makes landfall in China’s Guangdong

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HONG KONG (AP) — The Latest on Typhoon Mangkhut (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Typhoon Mangkhut has made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province, bringing torrential rains and winds of 162 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour).

The typhoon barreled into the southern Chinese city of Taishan at 5 p.m. Sunday.

In preparation for the storm, southern China evacuated hundreds of thousands of people, suspended high-speed rail services and canceled classes.

The massive storm left at least 28 people dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines on Saturday.

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12:40 p.m.

Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down under red alert as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast.

The biggest storm this year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines on Saturday.

Nearly half a million people were evacuated from seven cities in Guangdong province, the gambling enclave of Macau closed down casinos for the first time and the Hong Kong Observatory told people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour, where storm surges battered the waterfront reinforced with sandbags. Mangkhut is due to make landfall in Guangdong later Sunday.

The national meteorological center says southern China “will face a severe test caused by wind and rain” and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters.

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