China braces for Typhoon Noul, issues orange alert
China issued an orange typhoon alert on Friday as Typhoon Noul is expected to make landfall along the country's southeastern coast on July 25-26, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Xinhua.
China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued the warning as Typhoon Noul, the 12th of the year, strengthened while moving toward the country's southeastern coast.
The center of Typhoon Noul was located about 560 km northeast of Manila in the Philippines at 5:00 a.m. Friday and was moving northwest at 25-30 km/h.
The storm is forecast to make landfall between Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Zhangpu in Fujian Province from the evening of July 25 through the morning of July 26. After moving inland, it is expected to continue northwest while gradually weakening.
Parts of eastern and southern Taiwan are forecast to receive heavy to torrential rain from 8:00 a.m. Friday to 8:00 a.m. Saturday.
Strong winds are also expected to affect the northeastern South China Sea, the Bashi Channel, waters east of Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait, the southern East China Sea, and coastal areas of Taiwan, Fujian Province, and central and eastern Guangdong Province.
According to China's Ministry of Emergency Management, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday raised the emergency response to Level IV for floods and typhoons in Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Authorities in Guangdong have also implemented a series of emergency measures ahead of the approaching storm.
Passenger ferry services in affected areas have been suspended, while passenger vessels have ceased operations. According to Guangdong's maritime safety authority, the evacuation of thousands of offshore workers, including personnel on oil platforms, is expected to be completed by noon on Friday.
Rescue vessels, helicopters, tugboats, and emergency response ships have been deployed for disaster preparedness and response operations.
China operates a four-tier typhoon warning system, with red representing the highest level of alert, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
Earlier, Qazinform reported at least 20 people had been killed and more than 80 were injured after monsoon-triggered flash floods swept through Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province.
