Mangkhut bears down on S. China

With winds of 234 km/h, typhoon may become strongest this year

Typhoon Mangkhut, which may become the most powerful typhoon this year, is expected to land in South China on Sunday night, according to meteorological authorities on Friday.

The China Meteorological Administration said that Typhoon Mangkhut is on course to hit the western part of Guangdong province and northeast Hainan province. Mangkhut will move westward after landing and may weaken from a super typhoon to severe typhoon.

At a meeting on Friday, Ye Jianchun, secretary-general of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and vice-minister of water resources and emergency management, urged local governments to monitor the typhoon and release warnings in a timely manner. Local governments should evacuate residents at risk soon. The headquarters has dispatched work groups to Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian and Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to help local governments prepare for the typhoon, according to the meeting.