BackChina issues alert as Typhoon Haiyan hits coast
Six people were missing after their cargo vessel got lost in the South China Sea in the typhoon
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Beijing: China on Sunday issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning in its weather system, as Typhoon Haiyan hit the country’s coastal areas and six people were missing after the storm killed over 10,000 people in the Philippines.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has asked provinces of Hainan and Guangdong as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to keep a close eye on Haiyan and upgrade their precautions.
Haiyan, the 30th and strongest typhoon to hit China this year, arrived at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the eastern area of South China Sea, 370 km to the southeast of Sansha city, Hainan, after having wreaked havoc in the Philippines. It will move northwestward at a speed of 30-35 km per hour, the headquarters said.
The central and southern parts of Hainan and Sansha city are expected to be hit by downpours as Typhoon Haiyan approaches, the headquarters said. All fishing boats were urged to return to ports by noon on Saturday. Six people have been confirmed missing on Sunday after their cargo vessel got lost in the South China Sea in the typhoon, said the Sanya Maritime Bureau.
As of Saturday night, most had returned, with a few still on their way back, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
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