Classes are canceled and public transport is halted as Typhoon Talim slams into southern China

BEIJING — Typhoon Talim skidded across the southern provinces of China on Tuesday, toppling trees and signboards before weakening to a tropical storm.

Talim landed in the coastal city of Beihai, Guangxi province, at 5:45am local time, packing wind speeds of 90 kilometers (56 miles) per hour, according to state media, citing the regional meteorological bureau.

Local authorities in the cities of Fangchenggang and Beihai suspended classes, public transit and outdoor construction work as officials warned of torrential rains and storm surges.

In the city of Nanning, the national railway suspended 69 passenger trains, while 12 others trains were shifted to alternative routes.

On Chinese social media, residents of Beihai posted photos of uprooted trees and motorbikes crushed under wind and rain-driven debris. State broadcaster CCTV showed emergency workers clearing felled tree branches from streets and highways.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Bureau lifted its typhoon warning, saying the typhoon had weakened into a tropical storm at around noon.

According to China’s National Meteorological Center, Talim is expected to weaken further as it moves to the northwest, dissipating into the hills of northern Vietnam on Wednesday.

The center said rainfall and gales are expected to continue to hit Southern Chinese provinces including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian.

As with much of the northern hemisphere, China has been hit by record temperatures as well as flooding this year.