China faces double danger from typhoons as Talim and Doksuri threaten to strike coastline

Ten provinces in China’s wealthiest coastal regions could be hit by two powerful typhoons within 24 hours, the government has warned.

But they could also miss China altogether with a “last-minute” turn and hit other countries, according to the latest estimates.

Typhoon Talim was about 500km southeast of Zhejiang province on Wednesday night. It could make landfall in Zhejiang soon after reaching its peak on Thursday evening or Friday morning, according to a forecast by an expert panel led by Chen Lei, minister of water resources and deputy chief of the national anti-flooding command office.

More than 120,000 people in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces had been evacuated as of Wednesday in preparation for the possible arrival of Talim, the 18th typhoon recorded in the region this year, Xinhua reported.

In Fujian, about 120,000 people and 20,000 fishing vessels were moved to safe locations, while nearly 2,000 scenic spots and construction sites were closed. In Zhejiang, more than 4,700 boats and thousands of people were relocated, the report said.

Fujian’s meteorological department forecast that Talim would intensify into a super typhoon with speeds of between 180km/h and 200km/h over the next two days.

Authorities in Taiwan issued a maritime warning and airlines cancelled some flights on Wednesday as the island braced for Talim’s arrival, which was expected to hit northern cities, including Taipei.