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Bunkering operations at Guangdong province's Shenzhen port were halted yesterday ahead of Typhoon Megi, which is expected to make landfall this weekend.

Shenzhen, which is one of the world's busiest ports, is located approximately 20 sea miles from Hong Kong. The port was shut down on Thursday along with Hong Kong, which closed five oil terminals as a result of Megi - one of the biggest typhoons to threaten the South China coast in years.

Earlier this week Megi wreaked havoc killing at least 15 people in the Phililppines as bunkering operations were closed in Manila and other ports located in the northern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan.

The 'super typhoon' has regained strength and is due to make landfall between Hong Kong and Zhangzhou on Saturday.

Tankers were yesterday forced to evacuate to calmer waters as oil products terminals at Hong Kong's Tsing Yi port were shut down on Thursday.

Oil companies operating at Tsing Yi Island, which has a total storage capacity of around 2.5 million barrels or 369,000 cubic metres (cbm), include Sinopec, ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron.

Oil platforms in the eastern part of the South China Sea were evacuated on Wednesday and Sinopec was reported to have suspended some small volumes of fuel loading destined for Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Taiwan also warned shipping of strong waves and high winds. A ship that sank in the Taiwan Strait earlier this week killed one on board.