Typhoon Meranti causes extensive damage in East China

Trees are blown away in Xiamen city, East China's Fujian province, on Sept 15, 2016 as Typhoon Meranti lands in the city early Thursday. [Photo/IC]

FUZHOU -- Typhoon Meranti made landfall in Xiang'an district of Xiamen City, East China's Fujian province, at 3:05 a.m. Thursday, with gales up to 48 meters per second.

The world's strongest typhoon so far this year has also been monitored as the strongest one hitting southern Fujian Province since the local meteorological records were kept in 1949.

The winds shattered windows on high buildings, causing disruption of tap water supplies in many communities in Xiamen.