HONG KONG: Typhoon Noul made landfall early on Sunday (Jul 26) in southern China, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds across Guangdong province and neighbouring Hong Kong, prompting the cancellation of flights at Hong Kong's international airport.

Noul, which means the glow of sunrise or sunset in Korean, is the 12th typhoon in the Pacific this year and the third to hit China this month. It has forced the relocation of more than 340,000 people in Guangdong province, authorities said on Saturday.

Guangdong suspended some train services Saturday morning, with all train services in the province halted on Sunday, CCTV said.

Schools in Guangdong's Chaozhou city were instructed to suspend on-campus activities, according to local media reports.

The typhoon is weakening as it moves further inland, Hong Kong's Observatory said on Sunday, adding that strong gales continue to affect much of the city. The Observatory issued an Amber Rainstorm Warning for heavy rain and cautioned residents about flash floods. Rain exceeding 30 mm an hour has fallen and is expected to continue, it said.

Authorities in the Asian financial hub raised the storm alert to Typhoon Signal No 9 early on Sunday as the storm passed within 80 kilometres of Hong Kong, before downgrading it to Signal No 8 at 7.10am.

Typhoon Signal No 8, which keeps most businesses and transport links closed, will be in place until at least noon, the observatory said.

Airport authorities said flight operations will gradually begin resuming after 6.00pm on Sunday.

Extreme weather has already wreaked havoc on southern and central China this month, with 39 people killed when Typhoon Maysak triggered devastating floods in Guangxi.

Maysak also caused thunderstorms and gale-force winds that killed 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei.

Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of global extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.

China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, but it is also a global renewable energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon-neutral by 2060.