China's Guangdong upgrades emergency response as Typhoon Ma-on nears

GUANGZHOU, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangdong Province upgraded its emergency response to Level III at 9 p.m. Tuesday in anticipation of Typhoon Ma-on, which is forecast to make landfall on Thursday.

The provincial meteorological bureau predicted strong winds and torrential rain in central and southern parts of Guangdong from Wednesday evening to Friday.

The China Railway Guangzhou Group announced the suspension of some trains passing through the region on Thursday, as well as the high-speed train connecting Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

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