China braces for heavy rains as Tropical Storm Podul makes landfall in southern maritime provinces

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China braced Thursday for heavy rains as Tropical Storm Podul made landfall in several southern provinces and thousands of people were evacuated.

Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces were the focus of the preparation efforts, but alarms were at a relatively low level given the storm’s loss of strength as it passed over Taiwan on Wednesday. About 15,000 people had been evacuated from seaside areas in southern China as of Wednesday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Podul made landfall shortly after midnight on Thursday in Fujian classified as a tropical storm — downgraded from a typhoon — and it has also triggered alarms in inland Hunan province, which is home to several lakes and rivers that often overflow.

In Guangdong’s Chaozhou city, classes and some government functions were suspended, while court proceedings were suspended in Hong Kong after it raised its highest rainstorm warning.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the storm was moving away from the partially autonomous city, but that its outer edge was bringing squalls. Citizens were advised to stay away from the shoreline.

There were no initial reports of casualties or damage in southern China.

Southern Taiwan was cleaning up after the storm made landfall on Wednesday on the east coast counties of Taitung and Hualien before traveling out into the Taiwan Strait about five hours later.

On the self-governing island, one person was swept out to sea, about 100 people were injured and 8,000 evacuated to shelters. Electric company workers moved swiftly to restore power following complaints over a slow response following earlier storms.