South China on alert ahead of typhoon Ragasa

GUANGZHOU -- Classes, production, public transportation and business operations were suspended on Wednesday in parts of South China's Guangdong province as typhoon Ragasa approached.

According to the flood, drought and typhoon control headquarters in Zhanjiang city, schools halted classes at around 3 pm Tuesday as a precaution. Starting at 3 pm Wednesday, work, production, public transport and business operations across Zhanjiang will also be suspended.

Noting that departments handling water, power, gas, communications, medical care and emergency response will remain operational, local authorities urged all other activities that could pose safety risks or endanger personnel to be suspended due to the typhoon.

Typhoon Ragasa, the 18th typhoon of the year, entered the South China Sea late Monday and was located about 170 km southeast of Yangjiang city at 10 am Wednesday. It is forecast to move northwest at 20 km per hour and make landfall on Wednesday evening along the coastal areas between Yangjiang and Zhanjiang.

China's National Meteorological Center maintained an orange alert, the second highest in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system, on Wednesday as the typhoon is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds.