Typhoon Haikui, the third typhoon to hit China in the last week, brought downpours and floods to east China after landing in Zhejiang Province early Wednesday morning, the provincial observatory said.

A telegraph pole is blown down in the typhoon-hit Hepu Town of Xiangshan County,

east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 8, 2012. Typhoon Haikui landed in Hepu Township early Wednesday.

Haikui landed in Hepu township, Xiangshan county near the Sanmenwan Gulf in central Zhejiang at 3:20 a.m. with a maximum wind speed of 150 km per hour, the observatory said.

Provincial authorities have evacuated 1.5 million people in preparation for the storm, as it is expected to remain in the province for 24 hours before moving to neighboring Anhui Province, said Li Jian, head of the provincial meteorological bureau.

Rain-triggered flooding stranded about 130 people in three hotels in the city of Lin'an, local rescuers said, adding that 123 people have been rescued thus far. Roads to the hotels were flooded, forcing the rescuers to walk the last two kilometers on foot.

Another 300 tourists were stranded in a scenic area in Anji County after a bridge linking the scenic spot and the foot of a nearby mountain was destroyed Tuesday, county officials said.

The bridge was briefly fixed Tuesday afternoon and some tourists were rescued, but the bridge was severed again Wednesday morning after more rains hit the area, officials said.

The rains have also caused 12 townships to lose power, according to the provincial power company.

Railway authorities have canceled all passenger trains departing from and arriving at the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang.

The Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport closed at 7:30 a.m. due to strong winds and will reopen at 3 p.m., airport staff said.

The neighboring city of Shanghai has prepared for the storm by relocating 374,000 people, as gales and downpours were expected to hit Shanghai Wednesday morning and noon, according to the Shanghai observatory.

Shanghai has also closed all the parks and construction sites and asked employers to give their staff a day off on Wednesday, according to the municipal government.

Haikui is the third typhoon to wallop China's eastern coast in a week after storms Saola and Damrey hit the region over the weekend.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet