Typhoon Nesat continued to wreak havoc in south China and battered Guangxi Province Friday after making landfall on Hainan Province Thursday, according to regional disaster-relief authorities.

Typhoon Nesat was the strongest typhoon to hit Hainan province since 2005. It forced the evacuations of more than 450,000 people and caused economic damage of 5.8 billion yuan (910 million U.S. dollars) in the island province, said Xu Guoming, deputy director with the office of disaster-prevention in Hainan Province.

About 1,350 houses were toppled and over 165,000 hectares of farmland were swamped in Hainan Province, Xu said.

Nesat brought downpours and gales to the island. Precipitation in 110 townships exceeded 200 mm between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Friday. The strongest winds exceeded 32 meters per second on land, he added.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have allocated 35 million yuan for disaster-relief efforts in the typhoon-hit provinces of Hainan and Guangdong.

Typhoon Nesat dwindled to a tropical storm and moved in to Guangxi Province after making landfall in neighboring northern Vietnam Friday morning, according to local weather stations

In Guangxi Province, over 20,000 people were evacuated and more than 500 houses collapsed. Economic losses are estimated at 210 million yuan, according to local authorities.

All seaside scenic spots in Guangxi Province's coastal cities have been closed. Classes at primary and middle schools have also been suspended due to Nesat, according to local authorities.

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