Emergency response activated in China's Guangdong as Typhoon Podul approaches

Guangzhou, Aug 12 (IANS) South China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday activated a Level-IV emergency response to Typhoon Podul as it moves closer, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Podul, the 11th typhoon of this year, was located over the northwest Pacific Ocean at 8 a.m. Tuesday, about 730 kilometres southeast of Taitung, in the Taiwan region, according to Guangdong's meteorological observatory.

The maximum wind speed near Podul's centre was 30 metres per second, accompanied by a central minimum pressure of 980 hectopascals.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall on Taiwan's southeast coast around midday on Wednesday.

It is likely to pass through the island and enter the Taiwan Strait at a reduced intensity, and to make a second landfall along the coast from the southern part of east China's Fujian Province to the eastern part of Guangdong between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

From Wednesday night to Thursday, Podul is forecast to bring rainstorms to many areas of Guangdong, Xinhua news agency reported.

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

Earlier on July 30, Co-May, the eighth typhoon of this year, made landfall for the second time in east China's Shanghai Municipality after it made landfall in Zhejiang Province, according to the Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory.

The centre of Typhoon Co-May (tropical storm level) made its second landfall on the coast of Fengxian District, Shanghai. At the time of landfall, the maximum wind speed near the centre was 23 metres per second, accompanied by a central minimum pressure of 978 hectopascals.

To defend against the typhoon, Fengxian District had made early preparations to identify potential risks and carry out the relocation and resettlement of people in dangerous areas.

Typhoon Wipha also made landfall in China.

China's susceptibility to typhoons stems from its location along the western Pacific Ocean, a breeding ground for these storms. The country's extensive coastline, mountainous terrain, and the impact of climate change further exacerbate the issue.

--IANS

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