Xiamen - The super typhoon Megi made landfall in Zhangpu county in East China's Fujian province at 12:55 pm on Saturday, and moved northwest, slamming Fujian's seaside city of Xiamen.

Packing winds of up to 137 kilometers per hour, Megi is the strongest storm globally for the year, according to the Xiamen meteorological authority. It is the 13th typhoon this year to hit the south, arriving much later than most storms.

Earlier, Megi killed 26 people in the Philippines. In Taiwan, the storm killed one tour guide from the mainland and rescue teams continued to search Saturday for 19 mainland tourists from a missing bus.

"The typhoon Fanapi caused a loss of more than 100,000 yuan ($15,000) for my family a month ago, and I am afraid Megi will destroy more," said Lin

Dasheng, a 28-year-old farmer living on a small island near Xiamen. Fanapi, which left more than 100 people dead or missing in September, uprooted trees and vegetables Lin's family planted and destroyed their chicken farm.

Lin and his parents are the only residents on the 0.8-square-kilometer island called Eyuyu (Crocodile Island).

"It was horrible to watch the giant waves surrounding our island try to swallow it, and the hurricane howled to tear up our house," Lin said. He left the island two days before Megi hit the area, but his parents are now stuck there.

"They are safe staying in the house, but I still worry about them," Lin said.

Fujian's flood control and drought relief headquarters forbade fishing vessels from heading out to sea before the typhoon subsided.

More than 500 fishermen in Xiamen were transferred to a temporary refuge where there is adequate food, water and medical service, 200 meters away from the harbor.

Most flights in and out of Xiamen are canceled and the train schedule is limited by the storm. Although Xiamen authorities closed all the beach tourist sites, many travelers rushed to the coast to watch the most powerful typhoon this year and the unusual astronomical tide that occurred at almost the same moment the storm made landfall. The tide and typhoon generated 3.5-4.5-meter-high waves which splashed onto the streets.

Local police warned the visitors to leave and cordoned off coastal roads. "I forced 45 people to leave the beach this morning," said Wang Jinqu, a police officer. "They don't know how dangerous it is to stroll on the beach when the typhoon comes."