Authorities closed schools and suspended ferry routes in eastern China’s Fujian province after forecasters warned of heavy rain brought about by Typhoon Saudel.
Extreme weather has wreaked havoc in parts of China during the past few months, with typhoons bringing torrential rainfall and triggering the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
Typhoon Saudel made its third landfall in China on Fujian’s coast yesterday morning, according to local authorities, after earlier lashing neighbouring Zhejiang province twice.
Schools in Fuzhou and Quanzhou halted in-person activities, while some tourist attractions including theme parks were also temporarily closed in Fuzhou, local media outlets reported.
A total of 24 passenger ferry routes along the coast of Fujian were suspended yesterday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The province’s emergency management authority warned of rainstorms and secondary disasters including flash floods and landslides.
“The province is currently experiencing a period of persistent, heavy rainfall,” it said in a WeChat statement.
Around 247,700 people in high-risk areas in neighbouring Fujian had been evacuated last week, after authorities had warned of heavy rain, Xinhua reported.
At least 159 people were killed in southern China’s Guangxi region in July after Typhoon Maysak triggered devastating floods.
Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions. — AFP
