BEIJING, Aug 31 (Reuters) – China issued its highest typhoon warning on Thursday as Typhoon Saola, packing winds of more than 200 km per hour (125 mph), headed towards the southeastern coast, threatening Hong Kong and other major industrial hubs in the nearby province of Guangdong. .
Chinese meteorological experts issued a red typhoon warning at 6:00 am (2200 GMT). The China National Meteorological Center said Saola, which is currently located about 315 kilometers (183 miles) southeast of Guangdong Province, will move northwest across the South China Sea at a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour (6 mph), gradually approaching Guangdong coast, then slowly weakened. In distress.
Wind speeds at noon (0400 GMT) were 209 kilometers per hour (130 mph).
Saola will make landfall along the coast somewhere from Guangdong’s Huilai County to Hong Kong in the afternoon and into the night of Sept. 1, the center said, adding that with its predicted intensity, it could be among the five strongest typhoons to land in Guangdong since then. 1949.
With Saola approaching, the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong said it will raise the typhoon warning level to yellow – the second lowest level – at 6 p.m. Thursday, and suspend classes in nurseries, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.
China Southern Power Grid said it is stepping up equipment inspection and strengthening measures to prevent water leakage in power rooms in the basement.
China Railways has suspended several major train lines and Shanghai has halted trains bound for Guangdong, according to local media.
The Hong Kong Observatory said it would raise the strong wind signal to No. 3 – the second lowest level – later Thursday.
The observatory noted that Saola will also bring storms to low-lying coastal areas, and estimated that Saola is currently about 440 kilometers (270 miles) from the capital.
Until 8:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Friday, heavy rains will fall in parts of Fujian and Guangdong regions. Rainfall can reach 100-220 mm (3.9 in to 8.7 in) in some areas.
The Saola winds are also affecting Fujian Province, where videos posted on social media showed waves crashing along the coast. The Meteorological Department of Shishi City issued a blue typhoon warning.
(Reporting by Bernard Orr, Ethan Wang, and the Shanghai Newsroom; reporting by Mohamed for The Arabic Bulletin) Editing by Lincoln Fest.
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