BEIJING: The southern Chinese city of Sanya has closed tourist attractions, businesses and suspended public transport while bracing for intensifying Typhoon Kajiki.
This tropical cyclone was approximately two hundred kilometres southeast of Sanya on Hainan island at nine o’clock this morning.
It packed maximum sustained winds of thirty eight metres per second near its centre according to the National Meteorological Center.
Kajiki will likely strengthen while moving northwest at about twenty kilometres per hour.
The state weather forecaster predicted peak wind speeds could reach forty eight metres per second.
The storm may make landfall along Hainan’s southern coast from Sunday afternoon to evening.
It might alternatively skirt the southern coastline before heading westward toward Vietnam.
The Meteorological Center forecast heavy rainfall and strong winds across Hainan and nearby Guangdong and Guangxi provinces.
Some areas in Hainan could receive as much as four hundred millimetres of precipitation.
Sanya issued a red typhoon alert on Sunday morning representing China’s highest warning level.
The local government simultaneously raised its emergency response to the most severe level.
City officials convened a meeting on Saturday evening to prepare for worst case scenarios.
They stressed the need for heightened vigilance to ensure no fatalities and minimal injuries.
All classes and construction activities remain suspended throughout the city.
Shopping centres, restaurants and supermarkets closed from Sunday under the emergency measures.
Vessels received orders to cease operating in Sanya’s waters until further notice.
Officials confirmed that lifting restrictions would depend entirely on the storm’s impact.
Sanya represents one of China’s most popular holiday destinations with significant tourism revenue.
It attracted thirty four million tourist visits in 2024 according to state news agency Xinhua.
Record rainfall has lashed both northern and southern China since July this year.
Meteorologists described these as extreme weather events linked to climate change.
These conditions tested local government readiness while posing significant risks to lives and economy.
Natural disasters including flooding and drought caused 52.15 billion yuan in direct economic losses during July.
They affected millions of people nationwide while leaving two hundred ninety five dead or missing according to emergency management data. – Reuters
