▲ Typhoon Dolphin, which made landfall in China in early August
Chinese authorities have taken emergency responses as Typhoon Soudelor, the 18th typhoon of the season, approaches the southeastern coast of China, bringing forecasts of torrential rain mainly in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.
According to the Global Times, an English-language newspaper affiliated with the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecasted the previous day that Typhoon Soudelor will bring heavy downpours to southeastern Chinese regions including Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi over a three-day period.
In particular, the National Meteorological Center projected that cumulative rainfall could reach 200 to 400 mm in southeastern Zhejiang and northeastern Fujian, with some areas expecting over 500 mm of rain.
Anticipating that Soudelor will make landfall along the coast between Lianjiang in Fujian Province and Xiangshan in Zhejiang Province between tonight and tomorrow morning, Fujian provincial authorities have begun preemptive controls on tourist destinations, marine transportation, and offshore facilities.
According to the Fujian provincial government, as of the 25th, about 180 Class-A tourist attractions across the province had already closed.
Local maritime authorities suspended 22 coastal passenger shipping routes and halted the operations of 44 passenger vessels.
Operations at 41 offshore construction projects were also suspended, and 116 construction vessels took shelter.
Towing operations, ship trial runs, marine scientific research, and maintenance work on offshore wind power facilities were also halted.
In Lianjiang County, Fuzhou, all 10,887 vessels subject to sheltering and 368 fishing boats returned to ports, while 1,350 workers operating coastal aquaculture rafts and deep-sea aquaculture facilities evacuated to land.
Local authorities inspected 34 urban areas at risk of flooding, cleared over 5,500 rainwater drainage outlets, and pre-positioned personnel and drainage equipment in preparation for the heavy rain.
Rail authorities also decided to temporarily suspend some train services operating across the Yangtze River Delta region, in accordance with Soudelor's expected path and precipitation forecasts.
In particular, some railway services passing through Zhejiang Province are scheduled to be suspended starting today through the 29th.
According to the Beijing Daily, following earlier typhoons Chan-hom and Nangka, the forecast landfall of Soudelor brings the total number of typhoons making landfall in China this year to eight.
Zhao Wei, director of the National Meteorological Center, stated, "Typhoons are continuously affecting the southeastern and southern regions. We must remain especially vigilant against overlapping rainfall impacts and their subsequent effects on inland areas."
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