Typhoon Pabuk has wreaked havoc in Zhanjiang, the coastal city of Guangdong Province in South China, bringing in the heaviest showers in two centuries.

Heavy rainfall has affected 1.17 million people in Zhanjiang and cities of Maoming and Meizhou, and caused an economic loss of 1.34 billion yuan (176 million U.S. dollars), it was reported Sunday.

Floods have damaged a long stretch of the Zhanjiang-Leizhou Highway and the Guangdong-Hainan Railway, forcing the cancellation of a number of trains.

The Tangjia Township in Leizhou has been the worst hit, receiving 739 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, the heaviest in 200 years.

Intermittent showers pushed up water levels to record highs in two dams in Leizhou yesterday. The water levels in five Zhanjiang reservoirs have crossed the danger mark.

Water in the Dawan reservoir was threatening to overflow, forcing relief workers to dig channels to bring the level down at the weekend.

Shipping services in the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan were suspended for more than 10 hours before being resumed yesterday morning.

Despite the grim situation, no death or missing case was reported till Sunday, said Chen Xiangsheng, director of the news office of Zhanjiang municipal government.

"Mudslides have damaged and blocked the Zhanjiang section of the Guangdong-Hainan Railway, and it's not certain when the line can be reopened," Chen said. The Guangdong-Hainan Railway is China's first cross-sea line that connects Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, with Haikou, capital of the island province of Hainan.

More than 700 workers are trying their best to clear and repair the tracks.