Beijing [China], August 25 : Chinese authorities have ordered the closure of businesses and public transport in Sanya City as they brace for an intensifying Typhoon Kajiki, CNN reported.
Typhoon Kajiki is forecast to "brush past" the southern coast of China's island province of Hainan before heading for Vietnam, CNN reported, citing China's National Meteorological Centre.
China's weather agency forecast heavy rainfall and strong winds in Hainan and nearby Guangdong province and the Guangxi region, with areas in Hainan set to receive as much as 320 mm (12.6 inches) of rain from Sunday to Monday, CNN reported.
Hainan province has upgraded its emergency response to the highest level. Authorities have evacuated a total of 20,728 people from potentially hazardous areas. All 30,769 local fishing boats have returned to port or are sheltering safely with over 21,000 crew members moved to the shore.
Hainan has prepared more than 7,70,000 items of emergency supplies for vulnerable areas. Over 2,800 rescue personnel are on standby and are equipped with vehicles and equipment, as per Xinhua.
On Saturday, China activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding and typhoon in Hainan Province as Typhoon Kajiki, the 13th typhoon of this year, is approaching, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has initiated emergency response measures and dispatched a work team to the southern province to assist with local flood and typhoon relief efforts, the ministry said, as per Xinhua.
At 11 am on Saturday, the centre of Typhoon Kajiki was located around 650 km east of Hainan's Sanya City over the sea, and it is forecast to move westward at a speed of up to 25 km per hour with its intensity expected to strengthen significantly, according to meteorological authorities.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response, and a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
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