China's national observatory on Saturday issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Wipha as the sixth typhoon of the year is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the southern coastal regions of the country.South China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces were plunged into high alert as Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea, bringing strong gales and heavy rains to the two provinces.Hainan activated a Level IV emergency response at 9 a.m.
Beijing Time on Saturday, while Guangdong upgraded its emergency response from Level IV to Level II at 11 a.m.The Hainan Meteorological Service estimated that Wipha is approaching the coastal areas stretching from Shenzhen in Guangdong to Wenchang in Hainan and is likely to make landfall in these areas between Sunday afternoon and nighttime.Due to its impact, from Saturday to July 22, most sea areas and land regions in Hainan will experience rainstorms and strong winds.
Additionally, the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan may face prolonged suspensions of shipping operations from Sunday until July 22.Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, one of the world's longest cross-sea bridges, is shutting down early on Sunday.Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, may experience severe waterlogging.
Meanwhile, Guangdong is bracing for strong thunderstorms, gales and tidal waves.Additionally, Guangdong has maintained specialized rescue vessels and helicopters, along with high-power tugboats and cleanup vessels on standby.China has a four-tier emergency response system for typhoons, with Level I being the most severe.(With input from Xinhua; All photos via China Media Group)