Dark clouds hang heavily over Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, July 21, 2010. Chanthu, the third tropical storm of the year, which strengthened early Wednesday is forecasted to land on south China's Hainan and Guangdong Province on July 22. (Xinhua Photo)

Chanthu, the third tropical storm of the season, is expected to make a landfall on coastal areas of southern China's Guangdong Province Thursday noon, according to meteorologists from the neighboring province of Hainan, which is on the route of the typhoon.

Chanthu, with winds at its center about 126 kilometers per hour, is moving northwestward at a speed of 15 km per hour.

It is expected to land on the area between Dianbai and Xuwen of Guangdong. Nine cities and counties in eastern and northern parts of Hainan would be affected, the local meteorologists said.

By 7:50 a.m. Thursday, 26 flights in and out of Haikou Meilan International Airport in the provincial capital of Hainan had been canceled, airport officials said.

The officials said passengers having arrived at the airport had been provided with free hotel services, and no passengers were stranded at the airport by now.

According to earlier report, all 26,126 fishing boats in the island province of Hainan had returned to port.