Typhoon Wutip Set to Make First Landfall in South China’s Hainan
China’s National Meteorological Center (NMC) announced on Thursday that Typhoon Wutip, the first typhoon to impact China this year, is expected to make landfall along the coast between Lingshui and Ledong in south China’s Hainan Province in the early hours of Friday.
“The anticipated intensity is at strong tropical storm level, with winds of 25 to 28 meters per second,” said Zhang Ling, chief forecaster at the NMC, during a press briefing.
In preparation for the typhoon, railway services on Hainan Island have been halted since 4 p.m. on Thursday to ensure safety. Some trains are expected to resume operation on Saturday.
Typhoon Wutip is projected to make a second landfall along the coast from western Guangdong Province to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Saturday.
“After landfall, it will move northeast with gradually diminishing intensity,” Zhang added.
The NMC forecasts the heaviest rainfall between June 13 and 14, with expected accumulated rainfall of 100 to 300 millimeters in parts of Hainan, eastern Guangxi, Guangdong, southern Hunan, and southern Jiangxi. Some areas could receive between 400 and 700 millimeters of precipitation.
