TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Parts of coastal southern China suspended ferry services as a major storm passed into the South China Sea, bringing high winds and heavy waves to much of the region.

The storm was downgraded Wednesday from Typhoon Man-yi, which left seven dead in the Philippines and worsened the crisis caused by back-to-back storms that battered the disaster-prone nation.

It is now categorized as a low-pressure area lingering south of China's Hainan Island, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which said its maximum sustained winds were a relatively mild 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour.

Climatologists have predicted a greater frequency of such storms, but better preparedness and early warning systems in the Asia Pacific nations most affected have helped mitigate some of the most dire consequences.

Higher sea temperatures caused by a warming climate are increasing the amount of moisture in the air and extending the typhoon season from its usual annual end point of September. Europe, particularly Spain, and the southeastern United States have also experienced devastating storms in recent weeks.