Typhoon alert forces schools to close in southeast China

XIAMEN (Xinhua) - A powerful typhoon blew near to China's southeastern coast on Sunday leaving school classes suspended and air traffic disrupted.

Super typhoon Usagi was monitored 450 km southeast of Hong Kong at 5 a.m. Sunday. It is expected to hammer south China's Pearl River Delta some time between Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Xiamen City on the eastern coast of Fujian Province on Sunday morning called off classes and suspended shipping transport between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, as Usagi has brought strong winds and downpours to the city's offshore region.

On Sunday, major Chinese airlines canceled flights to cities in south China's Guangdong, Fujian provinces as well as Hong Kong and Macao, citing that local airports could be battered by heavy rains and strong gales starting Sunday noon.