Typhoon Yagi grows into super typhoon, bound for Guangdong

Typhoon Yagi has grown into a super typhoon on Wednesday night and has a high probability of making landfall on the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong province, on early Friday morning, said Guangdong Meteorological Service in a statement on Thursday.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon this year, is estimated to cause severe wind and rain impact on Zhanjiang when it brings raging storms to the coastal city in the western part of Guangdong.

To brace for the typhoon, Zhanjiang has raised a yellow typhoon warning signal starting Wednesday night, urging relevant departments to take concrete and effective measures to prevent and cope with the possible disasters caused by Yagi in the days to come.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The educational department in Zhanjiang has required all the schools and kindergartens to suspend classes on Thursday to ensure the safety of teachers and students.

In Yangxi county, all primary and high schools, kindergartens, and off campus education and training institutions have been ordered to suspend classes for two days starting Thursday.

In addition to fishing vessels that have been required to return to typhoon shelters, major outdoor projects have been asked to stop construction and residents have been urged to stay inside to avoid accidents, local authorities said.

All coastal tourist attractions and beaches in Guangdong province have been ordered to close temporarily beginning Wednesday evening, while cross sea routes and island tours have also been urged to close in a timely manner.

China Railway Guangzhou Group Co Ltd has introduced effective anti-typhoon measures such as adjusting operating sections and suspending high-speed trains passing through the Qiongzhou Strait.

In Zhuhai airport, located at the mouth of the Pearl River, a total of 16 departure flights and 26 arrival ones will be cancelled on Thursday to ensure flying safety, local authorities said.