Typhoon Tapah prompts evacuations in China, disrupts air traffic in Hong Kong, Taiwan

Tropical storm Tapah made landfall in China's southern Guangdong province on Monday morning, forcing school closures and the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, and disrupting air traffic in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, state media reported.

Classes were suspended at 182 schools in the city of Taishan, while more than 41,000 people across the city of Jiangmen were evacuated to safer areas, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

Several parts of Guangdong also saw heavy rain and strong winds.

Meanwhile, airlines canceled dozens of flights between Taiwan and Hong Kong and Macau as tropical storm Tapah moved through the South China Sea, the Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.

Tapah, the 16th typhoon of this year, formed late Saturday west of the Philippines, and will continue moving northwest at about 20 km (12 miles) per hour, gradually weakening.

The storm is not expected to directly affect Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Administration.

The Airport authority said it expected about 100 flights to be canceled on Monday, while many passengers saw their flights delayed.