Provinces prepare for incoming typhoon

The Ministry of Water Resources has initiated a Grade IV emergency response to cope with possible floods triggered by Typhoon Ma-on, which is expected to make landfall head-on in Guangdong province on Thursday.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with level I representing the most severe.

The typhoon is forecast to bring heavy rainfall that will swell multiple water banks in Guangdong, Hainan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, including the Xijiang, Yujiang and Nandu rivers, a media release from the ministry said on Tuesday.

Some small and medium-sized rivers in these regions may rise above their warning levels, it added.

The ministry has asked local flood control authorities to strengthen forecast and early warning, as well as dispatch more people to watch over the situation, adding they should also take precautionary measures to prevent mountain torrents and deluge in small and medium-sized rivers to ensure people's safety.

The ministry has dispatched teams to Guangdong and Guangxi to guide local flood control endeavors.