China’s meteorological authorities on Tuesday upgraded its typhoon alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest in its four-tier system, as two typhoons are expected to make landfall in the country in the coming days.
Typhoon Narra, the 19th typhoon of the year, makes landfall in Hainan while Typhoon Saudel, this year’s 18th typhoon, may hit the Chinese coast between late Thursday night and Friday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).
Narra had a maximum sustained wind speed of 20 meters per second (Force 8) near its center at landfall, according to meteorological measurements.
It is expected to move northeastward along the coastal areas of Changjiang, Danzhou and Lingao, with its intensity gradually weakening, before approaching the coast of the Leizhou Peninsula.
The NMC expected Narra to move slowly northeastward at a speed of 5 to 10 km per hour, skimming the northwest coast of Hainan before hitting the coast between southeastern Guangxi and the western Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong Province. It will weaken quickly after landfall, the center said.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Saudel was located over the northwest Pacific Ocean about 920 km east of Taipei, China’s Taiwan region, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. The NMC said it is likely to enter the East China Sea on Wednesday morning before making landfall along the coast from central Zhejiang to central Fujian.
From 2 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday, parts of Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Hainan are expected to see torrential rain, with some areas receiving exceptionally heavy rainfall, said the NMC.
Typhoon Gaenari, the 20th typhoon of the year, made landfall along the coast of Quanzhou in Fujian at around 12:30 p.m. on Monday.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources on Monday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Fujian and sent a work team to assist local disaster relief efforts, as Typhoon Gaenari brought heavy rainfall and could cause water levels to rise in several rivers from Monday to Tuesday.
