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South China's island province of Hainan upgraded its emergency response level for Typhoon Chaba to Level II, the second-highest, the local media reported citing the local government.
Chaba, the third typhoon of the year, has brought strong winds and heavy rains to Hainan while moving towards south China's Guangdong Province at a maximum speed of about 119 km per hour, reported Xinhua. The typhoon will likely make landfall in the coastal area of Guangdong between Saturday afternoon and evening, the meteorological department said. The provincial government said 47 residents have been evacuated out of concern of geological disasters. Railway services have been suspended on the island and airports in Haikou and Sanya have canceled over 400 flights. All scenic spots, and maritime entertainment and aerial sightseeing activities in the two cities have also been suspended. A four-tier colour-coded weather warning system is followed in the country with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Chaba is moving closer to Southern China and the country's meteorological authority earlier renewed a yellow alert on Friday. The typhoon which was observed on waters 250 km northeast of Yongxing Island in Hainan's Sansha City at 5 a.m., will move northwestward at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour, with slowly increased intensity, Xinhua reported citing the National Meteorological Center. Affected by the typhoon, some areas in Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will see heavy rainfalls and strong winds over the coming 24 hours. Moreover, Chaba is also expected to make landfall in coastal areas of Hainan or Guangdong between Saturday afternoon and evening. As per the reports by Xinhua, the centre advised that ships and boats should take shelter at harbours while advising the relevant areas to take measures to avoid torrential floods and unforeseen geological disasters. The typhoon was formed over the central and eastern areas of the South China Sea as meteorologists have warned the areas to take preventive measures and to ensure fruit and vegetable supplies. On Wednesday, China issued a yellow alert for high temperatures and heatwaves in various parts of the country. The forecast also mentioned that the temperature might reach 39 or 40 degrees Celsius in some of these regions. The residents were advised to avoid working outdoors during daylight hours and workers who are exposed to the high temperatures to take necessary preventive measures, the local media reported. Earlier on Monday, China's National Meteorological Center renewed its yellow alert for rainstorms in several parts of the country. Due to severe thunderstorms and heavy rains, the centre has also advised halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas and urged airports, railways, expressways and water transportation units to take safety measures such as flight restrictions, speed limits, or temporary closures to ensure personnel and traffic safety. A total of 548,000 people were affected due to the heavy rain in China's Jiangxi province last Tuesday, according to the provincial flood control headquarters. The local meteorological department had predicted further rainstorms in the province this week.According to local authorities, the torrential rains and rain-induced floods since May 28 have wreaked havoc in 80 counties of the province. (ANI)
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