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

FUZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- East 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 meters per second near its center, the provincial meteorological observatory said.

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