Typhoon Chaba Moving Closer to South China

The typhoon which was observed on waters 250 km northeast of Yongxing Island in Hainan's Sansha City at 5 a.m., will move northwestward at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour, with slowly increased intensity, Xinhua reported citing the National Meteorological Center.

Affected by the typhoon, some areas in Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will see heavy rainfalls and strong winds over the coming 24 hours

Moreover, Chaba is also expected to make landfall in coastal areas of Hainan or Guangdong between Saturday afternoon and evening.

As per the reports by Xinhua, the centre advised that ships and boats should take shelter at harbours while advising the relevant areas to take measures to avoid torrential floods and unforeseen geological disasters.

The typhoon was formed over the central and eastern areas of the South China Sea as meteorologists have warned the areas to take preventive measures and to ensure fruit and vegetable supplies.

A four-tier colour-coded weather warning system is followed in the country with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

On Wednesday, China issued a yellow alert for high temperatures and heatwaves in various parts of the country.

The forecast also mentioned that the temperature might reach 39 or 40 degrees Celsius in some of these regions. The residents were advised to avoid working outdoors during daylight hours and workers who are exposed to the high temperatures to take necessary preventive measures, the local media reported.

Earlier on Monday, China's National Meteorological Center renewed its yellow alert for rainstorms in several parts of the country.

Due to severe thunderstorms and heavy rains, the centre has also advised halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas and urged airports, railways, expressways and water transportation units to take safety measures such as flight restrictions, speed limits, or temporary closures to ensure personnel and traffic safety.

A total of 548,000 people were affected due to the heavy rain in China's Jiangxi province last Tuesday, according to the provincial flood control headquarters.

The local meteorological department had predicted further rainstorms in the province this week.

According to local authorities, the torrential rains and rain-induced floods since May 28 have wreaked havoc in 80 counties of the province.