Southern China on high alert as Super Typhoon Mangkhut looms large
High winds and torrential downpours predicted as second typhoon in days forecast to strike on Sunday or Monday
After Typhoon Barijat lashed southern China on Thursday, authorities in the region are now bracing for the impact of its big brother, Super Typhoon Mangkhut.
The National Meteorological Centre said late on Thursday it expected Mangkhut to hit western Guangdong or eastern Hainan province late Sunday or early Monday. The maximum sustained wind speed near its centre could reach 52 metres per second (116mph), it said.
Such is the possible severity of the storm that China’s state meteorological authority said that weather forecasters from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau held their first ever joint video conference on Thursday morning to discuss the issue.
Typhoon Barijat landed in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, bringing heavy winds and rain to the city and the neighbouring regions of Guangxi and Hainan. Before it struck, thousands of people were evacuated, fishing boats were called back to port, and power plants and reservoirs were placed on high alert.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said on Thursday that task forces had been dispatched to the affected areas to support local rescue and emergency response efforts.