HAIKOU, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A heavy fog again disrupted ferry services on the Qiongzhou Strait in south China, stranding thousands of cars on Hainan island, local authorities said Sunday.

According to local meteorology and maritime departments, the fog was expected to last between Friday night and Saturday morning, triggering suspension notices of ferry services.

Ferry services at the city's three ports had not resumed as of 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Currently, nearly 8,000 cars carrying tens of thousand of passengers are still waiting at the ports to leave Hainan for Guangdong Province via the Qiongzhou strait.

Passengers are heading home after spending their Spring Festival holiday on the island. Hainan, known for its tropical climate and clean air, is a popular destination for Chinese tourists in winter.

According to the local government, about 90,000 vehicles containing over 400,000 tourists had arrived on the island during this year's Spring Festival holiday lasting from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21.

Shipping on the Qiongzhou Strait, the only way for cars to leave the island for Guangdong, was suspended Wednesday night due to heavy fog. Ferries resumed Thursday morning as visibility improved.