Customers stock up on instant noodles and other supplies at a supermarket in Shenzhen on Sept 15, a day before Typhoon Mangkhut's expected arrival. - Reuters
SHENZHEN: Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit China's southern Guangdong province at 5pm on Sunday (Sept 16) after battering Hong Kong and tearing through the Philippines.
A group of nine journalists from Malaysia is currently in Shenzhen at the invitation of the China Embassy in Malaysia.
The group are currently holed up in their hotel as all programmes scheduled on Sunday (16 Sept) have been cancelled.
The local authorities has ordered offices and schools to be closed. Most ground transport has been brought to a halt.
Power supply remains normal although the hotel had also put up a notice that power supply would be cut at 3pm.
According to Reuters, Super Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in Haiyan town at 5pm local time, packing winds of more than 160 kph, weather officials said.
Shenzhen has been experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds since early morning.
Earlier, people were seen stocking up goods, especially bottled water, in a local supermarket.
In neighbouring Hong Kong, the maximum No 10 typhoon warning was raised on Sunday morning.
The airport in Shenzhen has been shut since midnight, and will be closed until 8am on Monday (Sept 17). Flights have been cancelled in Guangzhou and the neighbouring island province of Hainan.
