Typhoon Kajiki, the strongest storm to hit Sanya, Hainan province since meteorological records began, unleashed destructive winds and torrential rain, toppling trees, damaging infrastructure and leaving thousands without power and water, though no fatalities were reported.

The city has now begun a large-scale recovery effort, with transport services, businesses, and the airport resuming operations on Monday.

The typhoon, which skirted coastal Sanya on Sunday night, brought hurricane-force winds up to level 16 on the Beaufort scale inland and along the coast, according to Chen Jingjin, executive vice mayor of Sanya, at a news conference on Monday afternoon.