300,000 evacuated ahead of storm
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| A wave crashes into a barrier in Wenling, Zhejiang province, on Thursday ahead of Typhoon Talim. [Photo by LI HUHU/CHINA DAILY] |
About 300,000 people from three provinces were evacuated as two typhoons approached the southern part of the country on Thursday.
Hainan province activated a Level 3 emergency response－the third in a four-level system－for the approaching Typhoon Doksuri. The typhoon is set to skirt the province between Thursday night and Friday morning.
Shipping services in the Qiongzhou Strait connecting Hainan and Guangdong provinces were suspended on Thursday morning. High-speed trains in Hainan were suspended starting at noon on Thursday.
All primary and high school classes in Sanya, Hainan province, and two counties were to be suspended on Thursday afternoon and Friday.
As of Thursday, more than 76,000 people at sea had moved onshore and more than 24,000 fishing boats have been moored.
According to the Hainan weather bureau, as of 2 pm on Thursday the eye of Doksuri, the 19th typhoon this year, was over the South China Sea about 275 kilometers southeast of Sanya, packing winds up to 118 kilometers per hour.
The eastern, central and southern parts of the island are expected to be hit by downpours, with precipitation up to 10 centimeters.
The bureau forecast that Doksuri will move northwest at a speed of 15 to 20 km/h while growing stronger. Powerful winds and heavy rain were expected in Hainan from Thursday.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces as of Wednesday, as Talim, the region's 18th typhoon this year, moved rapidly toward the southeast coast.
More than 40,000 shipping boats have also moored in the two provinces, which issued its third-highest emergency response.
In Fujian province, the government has closed 198 scenic spots and 1,642 construction sites.
According to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, Doksuri brought heavy rain on Wednesday to the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guangdong and Hainan, with precipitation of up to 93 millimeters.
While Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hainan and Guangdong were hit by downpours on Thursday, more rainfall is expected in Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi on Saturday, which will result in some rivers flooding in the three regions.
The authorities have dispatched 11 teams to nine provincial regions to assist with emergency response.
