China's coastal regions step up precaution measures against double impact from typhoons Trami and Kong-rey

Multiple coastal regions in South China and East China on Monday stepped up precautions against the double impact from typhoons Trami and Kong-rey by evacuating personnel, harboring fishing boats and suspending classes, as heavy precipitation, urban waterlogging and secondary disasters have been forecast in these regions due to their combined effects. 

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast on Monday that the joint impact of the tropical depression Trami and a cold front will bring heavy rainfall in South China's Hainan Province on Monday and Tuesday with most of the province expected to experience intense rainstorms. Especially on Tuesday, the precipitation can reach 250 millimeters to 300 millimeters in some of the eastern parts of the province on a single day. 

Though Trami has weakened, the national meteorological agency still forecast heavy downpours in parts of Hainan and experts warned of severe conditions and secondary disasters such as landslides and debris flow that may be brought about by prolonged heavy rainfall and significant cumulative precipitation, chinanews.com reported on Monday. 

Meanwhile, the tropical storm Kong-rey has strengthened into a severe tropical storm as it moves northwestward and approaches the eastern part of Taiwan island while continuing to intensifying, with expected landfall on the coastal areas on the central or northern parts of Taiwan island later this week. It is forecast that the tropical cyclone may brush along or make landfall on the coastal areas of East China's Zhejiang and Fujian provinces and gradually weaken in intensity, as reported by chinanews.com.

The latest weather forecast shows that Kong-rey may bring heavy rainstorms to areas including Taiwan, Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanghai and the public need to pay attention to the latest typhoon forecast and early warning information, and take preventive measures in advance, since its path is still uncertain, according to the NMC. 

In response to the typhoon, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters in Hainan have relocated personnel from offshore operations such as offshore platforms and hydraulic projects in advance, with 42 projects suspended, 159 construction ships returning to ports for shelter, 1,074 people evacuated, and 34,479 fishing boats harbored at ports. 

In Sanya, Hainan's local education authorities ordered primary schools and kindergartens to suspend classes from Monday noon. Additionally, Xidao Island, a national AAAA-level scenic spot, suspended operations on Monday and the city's cultural center also suspended its activities on the same day. 

The Yangpu checkpoint of Haikou's border inspection station responded swiftly by dispatching additional officers to assist companies and ship operators in implementing various preventive measures, to ensure fast customs clearance and safe repositioning of international vessels to shelter from the rainstorms. As of Friday afternoon, all foreign vessels in the port area had departed to anchorage areas for shelter or exited the country. 

Meanwhile, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters in Fujian activated a Level-IV emergency response against the typhoon on Sunday and demanded local related departments to monitor typhoon developments closely to strengthen preventive efforts, according to chinanews.com. 

Despite that there are more typhoons in autumn this year than usual, it is normal for typhoons to occur at this period of time as long as the conditions are met for the formation of typhoons, Zhang Mingying, a Beijing-based meteorologist, told the Global Times on Monday.

Typhoon Trami has claimed 116 lives in the Philippines, with 39 people missing and more than 6.71 million people affected as of Monday morning, according to the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, China Central Television reported.