China activates level-IV emergency response against Typhoon Khanun

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has activated a level-IV emergency response against Typhoon Khanun and sent a work team to east China's Zhejiang Province to assist in the local combat against the sixth typhoon of the year.

China's ongoing efforts against floods and typhoons remain complicated and severe, according to the meeting jointly held on Wednesday by the office of the headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The floods in the Haihe River Basin are progressing toward the middle and lower reaches, with considerable pressure on waterways and dams, according to the meeting.

The ongoing battles would be exacerbated by a new round of rainfall, expected to hit Jilin and Heilongjiang in the northeast and the ever-increasingly complex and uncertain Khanun tracks.

Given this adverse situation, the headquarters and the ministry urged utmost efforts to brace for heavy rainfall in the northeast, closely monitor the development of Typhoon Khanun and get well-prepared.

Zhejiang on Wednesday upgraded its emergency response from Level IV to Level III as Khanun, which comes on the heels of Typhoon Doksuri, is likely to dump heavy rain on the coastal province and whip up billows of 8-10 meters high in the coming days, according to Zhejiang's meteorological service.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the typhoon was observed 610 km southeast of Yuhuan City, packing up a maximum wind force of 16-grade near its center, the meteorological service said, adding that it is likely to intensify as it tracks toward the coast.

Zhejiang's maritime authorities have beefed up safety patrols and are actively reaching out to ships taking shelter, advising them to take necessary precautions.

China's national observatory on Wednesday renewed a blue alert and advised coastal provinces like Fujian and Zhejiang to make emergency preparations for the typhoon.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters also issued work notices on Wednesday to the local headquarters of Fujian, Zhejiang, and the Taihu Lake Basin.