Typhoon Saola hits coastal Guangdong

Super typhoon Saola paralyzed the normal operation of major cities in Guangdong province's coastal areas when it heavily battered the southern province, bringing raging storms and strong gales, on Friday night.

Saola, the ninth typhoon this year, brought air, rail, water and road traffic to a halt and scenic spots closed in major cities in Guangdong, a transportation hub in the southern Chinese region, on Friday.

To brace for Saola, major cities, including Shenzhen, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Shanwei, required their schools and kindergartens to suspend classes, stores to stop business, major outdoor projects to stop construction and residents to go out less to avoid accidents, authorities said.