China activates Level-IV flood control emergency as Typhoon Wipha approaches

Fuzhou, July 21 China's Fujian Province activated a Level-IV flood control emergency response at 8 a.m. Monday, as Typhoon Wipha moves closer, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Under the influence of the outer circulation of Typhoon Wipha, the sixth typhoon of the year, coastal areas of Fujian have experienced heavy to torrential rainfall since Sunday.

According to weather authorities, multiple areas in the province are forecast to experience heavy rainfall over the next three days.

The headquarters has urged heightened vigilance in response to the severe weather. All localities and departments are required to promptly activate or adjust emergency response measures while enhancing monitoring, early warning, and joint consultation for risk assessment.

They have been instructed to meticulously plan and implement comprehensive prevention and response measures for rainstorm disasters, as well as secondary hazards, including mountain floods, small and medium-sized river floods, geological hazards, and urban waterlogging.

Typhoon Wipha made its second landfall near Hailing Island in Yangjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, at around 8:15 p.m. Sunday as a strong tropical storm, bringing a maximum wind speed of 25 metres per second near its centre, the provincial meteorological observatory said.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the Hong Kong Observatory cancelled all warning signals for tropical cyclones as Wipha, the sixth typhoon of this year, left the city.

Transportation services are resuming in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong link road of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge reopened to all vehicles from 12:00 a.m. on Monday, said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

Airport Authority Hong Kong said the three runways and all apron facilities at the Hong Kong International Airport are functioning well. Many flights were rescheduled on Sunday due to the typhoon. From 8:00 p.m. Sunday to 6:00 a.m. On Monday, a total of 120 flights arrived and 114 departed.

The Hong Kong Observatory forecast rainstorms and big waves on Monday in the wake of the typhoon and alerted residents to stay vigilant and stay away from the coasts.

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