Super Typhoon Ragasa to make landfall in Guangdong Wednesday

Super Typhoon Ragasa, the 18th typhoon of the year, is expected to make landfall in south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday.

As of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, the typhoon was located over the northern South China Sea, about 690 kilometers east-southeast of Yangjiang city, Guangdong Province, with maximum winds near the center reaching Category 17 (202 to 221 km/h).

Ragasa is forecast to move north-westward at speeds of 20 to 25 kilometers per hour and is expected to make landfall Wednesday along the coastal areas from Shenzhen to Xuwen in Guangdong. After landfall, it is expected to turn westward and gradually weaken.

East China will experience heavy to torrential rainfall, including parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.

In addition, some rivers in south China's Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan are anticipated to experience substantial water surges. Some medium- and small-sized rivers within the heavy rainfall zone may rise above the warning level.

In response, the Ministry of Water Resources has maintained a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Guangdong Province and has sent work teams to Guangdong and Hainan for support and guidance.

Guangdong Province has raised the emergency response for wind control from Level II to Level I, while Hainan has upgraded its typhoon response from Level IV to Level III, and flood-and-wind response from Level IV to Level III.