Provinces on alert as two typhoons approach China

People walk in rain in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province as typhoons are approaching coastal China, on July 6, 2015. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - Trains have been suspended, schools closed and thousands of fishing boats recalled to port as south and east China brace for two approaching typhoons.

Typhoons Linfa and Chan-Hom will hit south and east China in the coming three days, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Wednesday, advising Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Taiwan to initiate their preparation plans.

About 10,400 fishing vessels returned to ports in five cities in South China's Guangdong province, some areas in the province are already experiencing strong gales and torrential rain brought by Linfa on Wednesday.

In the port city of Shanwei, east Guangdong, fishermen have secured their boats and removed their belongings, and soldiers have increased patrols for trouble on the water.

Meanwhile, after Guangdong issued a yellow alert for Linfa, elementary and middle schools in 15 counties have been closed.

With a complex route and changing intensity, Linfa is expected to make landfall on the coastal regions stretching from Shantou city in Guangdong to Zhangpu city in Fujian province, on Thursday. The NMC has warned the typhoon will have a "serious impact" on south China.

As of 12 pm, its center was still in the South China Sea, about 280 km southeast of Shantou city, Guangdong. It will move northwest at a speed of 10 km per hour.

Typhoon Chan-Hom, which is moving much faster, could land in Fujian and neighboring Zhejiang province late Friday as a strong or super typhoon,according to the NMC.

Railway authorities in the eastern city of Shanghai plan to suspend all passenger trains along the coast on Friday and Saturday.

On Wednesday, the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs urged Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shanghai and Zhejiang to set up dedicated teams to track the two typhoons and disseminate information.

In a circular, the commission advised those in the affected areas to stock up on enough necessities to last one to three days. It added that it had an emergency disaster relief plan prepared if the worst came to the worst.

The top flood control authority also issued a level-two emergency response on Wednesday and despatched three working teams to coordinate flood control efforts.