China coastal regions brace for Typhoon Wipha

GUANGZHOU -- South China's coastal regions, including Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi have been placed on high alert as Typhoon Wipha, the sixth typhoon of the year, made landfall near Jiangmen city in Guangdong around 5:50 pm on Sunday.

As of 7 am Sunday, Typhoon Wipha was observed at 21.7 degrees north latitude and 114.9 degrees east longitude, with the maximum wind speed near its center reaching 33 meters per second. It is expected to move westward at around 25 km per hour, with its intensity continuing to strengthen, according to meteorological forecasts.

In Zhuhai city of Guangdong province, where strong winds and heavy rainfall are forecast, authorities raised the typhoon alert to red. They upgraded the emergency response for typhoon control to Level I at 3 am Sunday, according to the local meteorological bureau.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was temporarily closed in response to the typhoon. Outbound customs clearance at Zhuhai Port of the bridge was suspended at 2:30 am, followed by the closure of the main bridge at 3:30 am, according to the bridge's management bureau.

School classes, transportation and business activities have been suspended across Zhuhai, and residents have been urged to stay indoors.

Shenzhen, another coastal city, activated a Level IV emergency response at 9 am Saturday and issued an orange alert citywide at 9:50 am Sunday.

As of 8 pm, Saturday, 929 indoor emergency shelters had been opened across Shenzhen. Personnel and vehicles were deployed to inspect key areas, including construction sites, hazardous slopes and dilapidated buildings, according to the city's flood, drought and typhoon control headquarters.

According to the Guangdong emergency management bureau, as of 7 am Sunday, a total of 440,400 people had been evacuated from both land and sea areas across the province.

At 8:30 am Sunday, Hainan province raised its emergency response for flood and typhoon control from Level IV to Level III, as strong winds and rainstorms are expected to impact the island province between Sunday and Tuesday, according to the provincial emergency management bureau.

In the provincial capital of Haikou, various departments are taking precautions ahead of the typhoon.

The maritime authority is conducting electronic inspections in affected waters, maintaining real-time vessel monitoring, and deploying personnel for on-site checks.

Water affairs departments have organized drainage teams to inspect and maintain facilities, opened manhole covers in advance to facilitate drainage, and set up warning signs.

The power department has stationed repair vehicles in key areas, while emergency plans have been activated for vegetable reserves to ensure market supply.

In Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, torrential rains are forecast to affect southern areas from Sunday to Tuesday, according to the regional meteorological bureau. At 10 am Sunday, the regional meteorological observatory raised the typhoon alert from Level IV to Level III and upgraded its emergency response for major meteorological disasters related to typhoons to Level III.

The typhoon is expected to directly impact Weizhou Island, according to the region's maritime authorities. To ensure navigational safety, ferry services between the Beihai city port and Weizhou Island were suspended starting Sunday afternoon.

China's national observatory issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Wipha on Saturday.

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