HOTPEN– Chinese Authorities have instructed schools to be closed, ships enroute to eastern province of Zhejiang to return to port and tourists evacuated from coastal Islands as one of the strongest typhoons this year is expected to make landfall on Wednesday in the province.
Typhoon Muifa as it is tagged has intensified to a strong typhoon as it barreled heavily towards China’s coast and key port cities of Nin and Zhoushan.
According to state media report, it revealed that China’s typhoon alert has been upgraded to orange, the second-highest level on the four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system.
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Has warned that “Under this emergency state, it is required that relevant meteorological departments and provincial meteorological departments like Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Shandong enter the emergency position immediately”.
The official Xinhua news agency also reported that Muifa will bring torrential rains as it sweeps through eastern and southern coastal areas, including the commercial hub of Shanghai.
Shanghai will halt some operations of its port from Tuesday evening and halt all operations on Wednesday morning, according to the Shanghai International Shipping Institute.
State television reported that about 13,000 people from islands and tourist sites located in the typhoon’s path have been evacuated.
Nearly 7,400 commercial vessels have sought shelter in ports, while passenger ship routes in the affected areas were suspended as of noon, state media reported.
Authorities in the cities of Ningbo, Zhoushan and Taizhou have ordered schools to suspend classes on Wednesday. The three cities and Shanghai have a collective population of 42.26 million people.
CMA noted that the typhoon will continue to move in a Northwest direction after making landfall, and then it is to gradually weaken on China’s 12th of the year.
AL JAZEERA, REUTERS