Tropical storm Haikui brings downpours, gales to Anhui

HEFEI - Typhoon Haikui, which weakened to a severe tropical storm at 4 pm Wednesday, slammed into East China's Anhui province Wednesday night, leaving a trail of destruction in the eastern regions.

Haikui, which made landfall in the coastal province of Zhejiang at 3:20 am Wednesday, has brought heavy downpours to East China and killed three people as of Thursday.

Precipitation in many parts of Anhui exceeded 100 mm just hours after the arrival of the storm, with the city of Huangshan, which is known for the tourist destination of Huangshan mountain range, receiving 392 mm, officials from the provincial Hydrology Bureau said.

A woman walks with her umbrella against strong winds as Typhoon Haikui approaches China's east coast in Hefei, Anhui province, August 8, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The wind speed at Guangming peak, the second highest peak of Huangshan mountain range at an altitude of 1,860 meters, reached 117 kilometers per hour, officials said.

To ensure the safety of tourists, local authorities have suspended the use of ropeways and closed some scenic areas in the range, officials said.

Haikui has left one person dead and forced 26,000 others to be evacuated in Anhui province, officials said.

Shanghai was also lashed by a typhoon-triggered rainstorm Wednesday. Two people died and seven were injured by rain-triggered accidents in Shanghai, according to the city's flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Haikui is the third typhoon to wallop China's eastern coast in a week after storms Saola and Damrey hit the region over the weekend.