China's meteorological authorities have issued the first red alert for a typhoon this year as Typhoon Rammasun heads for landfall in southern China on Friday. A red alert is the most severe in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Rammasun is likely to come ashore in Hainan and Guangdong provinces on Friday afternoon. Winds could reach 150 to 180 kilometers per hour, and the storm will bring torrential rain to already waterlogged regions.
The National Meteorological Center has warned of flooding in cities and landslides in mountain areas. In Hainan province, all the ships have been called back and safely anchored. On Friday, the provincial capital has cancelled 60 planes, affecting nearly 3,400 people. In addition, 17 planes have also been cancelled in Sanya city, affecting nearly 4,000 passengers. Guangdong has closed all on-sea and offshore entertainment venues and called back all fishing ships.
As of today, more than 8 million people have been affected by the storm. About 40,000 people have been relocated, and more than 9,000 houses have collapsed. Meanwhile, over 380,000 hectares of crops land have been damaged, and direct economic losses could reach over 5.2 billion Yuan.