Typhoon Tapah threatens Southern China,Prompts Warnings and Preparations
HAIKOU/GUANGZHOU,Sept. 7 (Xinhua) - Typhoon Tapah, the 16th typhoon of the year, is tracking towards the southern Chinese coast, prompting authorities in Hainan province to issue a Level IV typhoon warning sunday morning.
As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the storm’s center was located approximately 445 kilometers southeast of Dianbai District in Maoming City, Guangdong Province. Tapah currently packs maximum sustained winds of 23 meters per second near its center, according to the Hainan provincial meteorological observatory.
Forecasts indicate the typhoon will continue moving northwestward at 10 to 15 kilometers per hour and is expected to gain strength. meteorological authorities predict Tapah will approach the coast of central and western Guangdong Province,perhaps making landfall between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang cities from sunday morning through noon. The storm is anticipated to weaken after it moves inland.
In response to the approaching typhoon, the Guangdong provincial flood control, drought relief and wind prevention headquarters elevated its emergency response level to Level III at 11 p.m. Saturday. Local authorities have been directed to closely monitor the typhoon’s path, bolster wind and flood defenses on land and at sea, and prioritize public safety.
The typhoon is already impacting surrounding waters. Throughout Sunday, the Qiongzhou Strait and Beibu Gulf are expected to experience easterly winds of force five, with gusts potentially reaching force seven to eight during thunderstorms. Winds in the eastern sea areas of Hainan Island are forecast to increase to force seven to nine,with gusts up to force 10 to 11. The waters near the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands will also see strengthening winds, ranging from force six to eight with gusts of force eight to ten.
Due to the anticipated weather conditions, the Haikou transportation and port authority announced at 8 a.m. Sunday that all three major ports serving cross-strait transportation in Haikou, the provincial capital, will suspend operations starting at 2 p.m.Sunday. resumption of services will depend on future weather developments.
China utilizes a four-tiered emergency response system for natural disasters, with Level I representing the most critical situation.
