Passenger ship and train services between Guangdong and Hainan provinces in southern China will be halted as local authorities brace for the 23rd typhoon of the year. (Photos: VCG)

Typhoon Barijat formed Tuesday morning in the South China Sea and has been forecasted to make landfall in an area between western Guangdong and eastern Hainan during the day on Thursday.

Over 70,000 fishermen and more than 23,000 boats have been called back to harbor as of Tuesday evening.

Barijat is moving westward at a speed of 15 km per hour at 8 a.m., about 550 km away from the city of Leizhou, Guangdong Province.

Over 70,000 fishermen and more than 23,000 boats have been called back to harbor as of Tuesday evening.