Hainan: Authorities in China's Hainan Island evacuated thousands of residents, closed schools and tourist sites, and cancelled flights on Friday due to the impact of severe tropical storm Wutip, which brought heavy rainfall and is moving towards the country's southern coast.
According to Bahrain News Agency, a crew of 12 people was rescued last night from a cargo ship that had issued a distress call. The crew was transferred to a rescue vessel in rough seas, where wave heights reached up to three metres.
The storm, accompanied by winds of up to 108 kilometres per hour, is currently moving northwest off Hainan's western coast.
China's meteorological authorities expect the storm to shift northeast and make landfall around midday Saturday near the border between Guangdong Province and Guangxi.