East China is on high alert as typhoon Wipha, upgraded from a
regular to a severe typhoon on Monday afternoon, approaches the
country's coastal areas.
Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian are preparing to face the full brunt of
Wipha. The Shanghai meteorological observatory has warned that it
could cause "the worst damage in recent years."
Both the Zhejiang and Fujian bureaus have issued warnings and
recalled all maritime vessels.
A senior official with the Zhejiang Maritime Safety
Administration said that Wipha would hit the province directly,
unlike this year’s previous typhoons that landed first in Taiwan
before hitting the mainland.
"The impact and damage from Wipha could be extraordinary, and
gales and waves caused by it could be the strongest of this year,"
the official said.
Wipha, packing winds of up to 183 kilometers per hour, is
heading northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, reported
the Zhejiang meteorological observatory at 6 PM on Monday.
At 6:00 PM, its center was located about 750 kilometers
southeast of Jiaojiang, Taizhou, in Zhejiang.
The Zhejiang flood control headquarters believe that Wipha could
develop into a super typhoon as it was still gathering strength on
Monday evening.
It is very likely to hit the southern areas between Cangnan and
Xiangshan on the Zhejiang coast late Tuesday or early Wednesday,
the Zhejiang observatory said.
Wipha could sweep through Zhejiang Province and hit Wenzhou,
Taizhou, Jinhua and a few other cities, the observatory said.
But it did not exclude the possibility Wipha could skirt the
coast without making a landfall.
If the typhoon makes a landfall, it is expected to cause great
losses to Zhejiang, said Mao Linsheng, vice governor of
Zhejiang.
Mao warned local authorities against strong winds, heavy rain,
landslides and especially flooding in cities.
The Zhejiang provincial flood control headquarters has issued a
warning to the public and told local authorities to prepare to
relocate residents, patrol reservoirs and brace for geological
disasters.
The Zhejiang provincial government has also ordered local
authorities to store food and water.
Zhejiang-registered fishing vessels have received orders to
return to harbor. Nearly 30,000 fishing vessels had returned by
Monday afternoon.
A three-month fishing ban on the East China Sea ended only on
Sunday.
Passenger ferries between Zhejiang's islands and the mainland
have been suspended.
The Fujian provincial government also issued a warning against
the typhoon on Monday afternoon.
The Taiwan authorities have issued both sea and land warnings
for the typhoon. The meteorological stations in Shanghai and Fujian
have also issued typhoon warnings, requiring all vessels to return
to shore or alter their course to avoid it.
China Meteorological Administration activated its emergency
response system for typhoons on Monday, demanding that
meteorological bureaus in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu and
related departments of the administration monitor Wipha around the
clock.
The National Meteorological Center was ordered to report Wipha’s
location and provide forecasts every hour as well as consult with
provincial meteorological bureaus every three hours.
The China Meteorological Administration has also dispatched work
groups to related provinces.
(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2007)
