PAKHAR, the 14th typhoon of the year, brought heavy rain to Pearl River Delta cities, forced the cancellation of 190 flights in Shenzhen, limited high-speed trains on the Xiamen-Shenzhen line and suspended intercity trains between Guangzhou and Zhuhai yesterday.

Ferry services between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, Hong Kong and Macao were canceled yesterday. Some expressways in Guangdong, including G15, S32, S43 and S49, were temporarily closed until 1 p.m.

Pakhar landed at around 9 a.m. yesterday in Taishan, Guangdong Province, bringing gales of up to 33 meters per second.

Guangzhou Railway Group Corp. halted cross-strait trains between Guangdong and Hainan and other trains running through Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Maoming. High-speed trains G6514, G6506, G6512 and G6516 from Shenzhen’s Futian station to Guangzhou, and G6208, G6216, G6234 and G6204 from Shenzhen North Railway Station to Guangzhou were set at limited speeds.

By 4 p.m. yesterday, Shenzhen had relocated 43,900 people to 560 shelters and given out 830,000 yuan (US$122,058) of supplies including quilts, blankets, clothes and food.

No major damages or casualties were reported by 5 p.m. yesterday, Shenzhen’s disaster relief authorities said. A total of 2,591 trees were brought down and 53 cars, 24 billboards and 35 lamps were damaged.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said that Pakhar would move northwestward, entering the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region yesterday evening while losing strength.

Hainan’s maritime authorities suspended the service of roll-on/roll-off passenger ships and cross-sea trains running in and out of the province yesterday. A total of 24,124 fishing boats were put into harbor.

Hong Kong and Macao issued a No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal — the third-highest warning level — yesterday morning in the face of Pakhar.

This is the second time in a week that Hong Kong has issued a No. 8 or above tropical cyclone warning signal.

Classes at all day schools, general outpatient clinics at public hospitals and some of the city’s public services were suspended.

The China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, and Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal in Tuen Mun were closed temporarily. The Airport Authority Hong Kong reported that 140 flights had been canceled as of 6 a.m. yesterday.

No deaths were reported yesterday, but Hong Kong hospital officials said 62 people had been injured.

In Macao eight people were slightly hurt, a government spokesperson said. Macao authorities issued fresh flood warnings as shops that were battered Wednesday remained closed yesterday morning. Traffic lights remained blacked out with power yet to return to parts of the city.

Macao International Airport said among the flights taking off from Macao, 23 were canceled and five delayed. For those heading to Macao, 21 were canceled and seven delayed.

Pakhar hit Guangdong four days after Typhoon Hato, which landed Wednesday in Zhuhai and claimed at least 19 lives — nine in Guangdong and 10 in Macao.

In Yunnan Province, two people were killed in disasters triggered by Hato, bringing the death toll in the province to five, according to Xinhua yesterday.