China's National Meteorological Center on Wednesday morning issued a red alert for Typhoon Doksuri, the most severe warning in its four-tier warning system, as the fifth typhoon of this year is expected to bring gales and heavy rain to the eastern and southern parts of the country.
The typhoon, observed over the ocean about 350 kilometers south of Taiwan at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, is expected to move northwest at 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement. It is about to move to the northeastern part of the South China Sea and will most likely make landfall as a severe typhoon in the coastal areas of Jinjiang City in east China's Fujian Province, the bordering areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces on the morning of July 28.
Some coastal areas around the Bashi Channel, the northeastern and southern waters of the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straits and the coastal areas of Taiwan and Fujian will experience gales. Meanwhile, parts of the Taiwan region will experience heavy downpours of 250 to 350 millimeters from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, according to the center.
The meteorological center has issued an advisory suspending both indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as dangerous outdoor operations, and has recommended the timely transfer of people living in vulnerable housing. It has also called for emergency typhoon preparations and precautions against possible geological disasters.
A view of Fuzhou City, east China's Fujian Province before the typhoon makes landfall in China, July 26, 2023. /CFP
Authorities across the Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces are following the development of the typhoon closely and taking a series of precautions.
The Guangzhou Railway Group in south China's Guangdong Province has launched an emergency response starting from 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and some train routes along the coast and through other high-risk areas have been suspended or adjusted until Sunday. The local railway department said it will adjust the train operation plan in a timely manner according to the typhoon's path and impact area, make announcements promptly and assist passengers in ticket rebooking and refund.
Fishing vessels in east China's Fujian Province shelter in a port in Wenzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. /CFP
In east China's Zhejiang Province, major sea-related engineering projects have been making preparations, such as evacuating the workers and large equipment and reinforcing structures under construction.
Employees from the construction department of the Xiangshan Port cross-sea bridge project in the province began to evacuate on Monday.
"About 179 people need to be evacuated to disaster shelters. Shelters have been set up for all those who meet the requirements for evacuation, and the living supplies have been fully put in place," said Zhang Haiting, director of the construction project.
All fishing vessels in east China's Fujian Province were required to take shelter in the nearest port, and all the personnel were required to return to land before noon on Wednesday. Currently, 2,784 ships are in ports along the coast of the province, and 76 water-related engineering projects have been suspended.
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