HAIKOU, September 13: Authorities in China’s southern island province of Hainan have suspended classes in some areas and closed 27 tourist attractions as a tropical depression over the South China Sea brings heavy rain and raises the risk of flooding and landslides.
The severe weather is expected to continue for the next three days, prompting officials to raise emergency response levels and issue fresh warnings for flash floods and geological hazards.
Primary and secondary schools, kindergartens and off-campus training institutions in parts of Hainan, including Wanning, were ordered to suspend classes for one to two days from Sunday depending on local conditions.
Hainan Raises Rainstorm and Emergency Alerts
The Hainan Meteorological Service upgraded its rainstorm warning from Level III to Level II at 10:30am on Sunday.
Half an hour later, the provincial committee responsible for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief raised its flood and wind emergency response to Level II.
As of 11am, the tropical depression was located about 245 kilometres west-southwest of Sanya, with maximum winds of 12 metres per second near its centre.
The system was forecast to make landfall along Vietnam’s central coast later on Sunday.
Flash Flood and Landslide Risks Increase
China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration had earlier issued a blue alert for possible flash floods in parts of southeastern Hainan.
A separate yellow alert was also issued for geological disaster risks in some areas of the province.
Authorities have urged residents and visitors in affected areas to remain alert as prolonged rainfall could increase the risk of flooding, landslides and disruption to transport and tourism.
China uses a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I representing the highest level of severity. Its weather warning system is also divided into four colour-coded levels, with red as the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.