Typhoon Khanun brings torrential rain, halts trains in NE China

CHANGCHUN/SHENYANG -- Typhoon Khanun, the sixth typhoon of this year, threatens to pack torrential rains and disrupt passenger train services in China's northeastern provinces Saturday and Sunday, local authorities said.

The meteorological bureau of Jilin Province has forecast heavy rain in seven cities, including the provincial capital Changchun. The central and southern parts of the province expect more precipitation, with a maximum volume of 40 millimeters per hour, it warned.?

The typhoon weakened into a tropical low pressure when it made landfall in the coastal region of Liaoning Province on Friday night, but strong gales and heavy rain will continue to lash the province over the weekend, the local weather bureau said.

The coastal city of Dalian has forecast strong gales up to 88 km per hour on Saturday and Sunday. The city's flood control headquarters have also warned of flash floods and geological disasters.

More than 20 passenger trains will be suspended on Saturday and Sunday, including two from Beijing and one from Qingdao in the eastern Shandong Province, according to railway authorities in Liaoning's capital Shenyang.

Heilongjiang Province is also on rain and flood alert, as six rivers and three reservoirs have seen water levels surpassing flood alarms as of 8 a.m. Saturday.