BEIJING -- Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and parts of the coastal mainland suspended business, transport and classes. Damage appeared to be minimal, however, and some services were returning to normal by afternoon.
Meanwhile, Taiwan issued a warning Saturday for a second typhoon, Haikui, which was expected to pass over the island today, before traveling onward to the central Chinese coast.
Guangdong province's meteorological bureau said the powerful storm churned into an outlying district of the city of Zhuhai, just south of Hong Kong, at 3:30 a.m. It was weakening as it moved in a southwesterly direction along the Guangdong coast at a speed of around 10 miles per hour, prompting Hong Kong to resume flights and subway and rail train services.
On Friday, 780,000 people in Guangdong were moved away from areas at risk as were 100,000 others in neighboring Fujian province. More than 80,000 fishing vessels returned to port.
Workers stayed at home and students in various cities saw the start of their school year postponed to this week. Trading on Hong Kong's stock market was suspended Friday and hundreds of people were stranded at the airport after about 460 flights were canceled in the key regional business and travel hub.
The Hong Kong Observatory had issued a No. 10 hurricane alert, the highest warning under the city's weather system. It was the first No. 10 warning since Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong in 2018.
By midafternoon, that had been reduced to the considerably less serious Strong Wind Signal No. 3, although the observatory warned of continuing rough seas and urged people to stay away from the coastline and refrain from water sports.
The observatory said Saola -- with maximum sustained winds of 121 mph -- came its closest to the financial hub at about 11 p.m. Friday, skirting about 2 miles south of the city's Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district. The storm's eyewall, which surrounds its eye, was moving across the city overnight, "posing a high threat" to the territory, the agency said.
By Saturday morning, it said, maximum sustained wind speeds had fallen to 90 mph, falling to 48 mph later in the day.
In recent months, China has experienced some of its heaviest rains and deadliest flooding in years in various regions, with dozens killed, including in outlying mountainous parts of the capital, Beijing.
As the storm's heavy rains and strong winds closed in on Hong Kong, about 400 people sought refuge at temporary shelters and ferry and bus services halted. Residents of low-lying areas placed sandbags at their doors hoping to prevent their homes from being flooded.
The government said various departments received reports of a total of 1,206 uprooted trees and flooding was reported in 18 areas. It said 75 people, including 41 men and 34 women, sought medical treatment at public hospitals while the storm sideswiped the island.
Sixty-three people were reported injured, mostly by falling trees, although none were reported in serious condition.
Classes at all schools were to remain suspended Saturday.
Weather authorities in the nearby gambling hub of Macao also warned of flooding, forecasting that water levels might reach 5 feet in low-lying areas Saturday morning. The cross-border bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai was closed at midafternoon. Macao leader Ho Iat Seng ordered a halt to casino operations.
Parts of Taiwan were already feeling the effects of Haikui's heavy rain and high winds, and dozens of domestic flights were canceled, along with air services to Hong Kong and Macao. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, gusting at up to 107 miles per hour, according to the island's meteorological bureau.
Information for this article was contributed by Kanis Leung and Alice Fung of The Associated Press.
Workers clear debris near shophouses after Typhoon Saola struck the city with strong winds and rain, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The typhoon made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
A man covers himself with umbrella as he walks by a coastal area after Typhoon Saola struck the city with strong winds and rain, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The typhoon made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
People walk through fallen tree branches on a sidewalk after Typhoon Saola strikes the city with strong winds and rain, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The typhoon made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
People clear debris near houses after Typhoon Saola struck the city with strong winds and rain, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The typhoon made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
People in rain coats walk past sandbagged barricades setup for Typhoon Saola as it passes through Lei Yue Mun district in Hong Kong, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
A rescue team checks an electrical box during Typhoon Saola in Lei Yue Mun district in Hong Kong, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
People pose for photographs in the wind during Typhoon Saola in Tseung kwan O, in Hong Kong on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
A rescue team patrols during Typhoon Saola in Lei Yue Mun district in Hong Kong, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and other parts of coastal southern China suspended business, transport and classes. (AP Photo/Billy H.C. Kwok)
A man waiting for a flight naps at Hong Kong International Airport, in Hong Kong, on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Hundreds of flights were cancelled as most of Hong Kong and other parts of southern China ground to a near standstill as Super Typhoon Saola edged closer Friday. (AP Photo/Daniel Ceng)