Typhoon Nesat struck the southern Chinese island of Hainan Thursday afternoon, after pounding Hong Kong with heavy winds and rains earlier in the day.

Forecasters say the storm hit Wenchang city with sustained winds up to 150 kilometers an hour, making it the strongest typhoon to hit China this year. Xinhua news agency said almost 58,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas ahead of Hainan’s arrival.