S China braces for typhoon Mujigae

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal areas of southern China as a strong typhoon moves toward the mainland, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain.

Typhoon Mujigae will likely hit land around midday, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), striking the southern island province of Hainan as well as Guangdong and Guangxi provinces.

By 7pm its centre was located about 285 miles west of Hong Kong and moving steadily inland.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most extreme weather, followed by orange, yellow or blue.

The Hainan provincial government’s website said fishing boats had been ordered to remain in port, but gave no word on evacuations or other emergency measures.

Mujigae, meaning rainbow in Korean, is the 22nd typhoon of the year. It made landfall in Guangdong province, the Global Times reported.

The typhoon is expected to lash both Guangdong and Hainan, where thousands of Chinese have flocked during the weeklong National Day holiday.

Scores of flights in and out of Hainan’s main airport in the provincial capital of Haikou have been canceled, and high-speed rail service between Haikou and the tourist center of Sanya was suspended Saturday and Sunday.

Almost 30 fishing boats with more than 150 fishermen were returning from the South China Sea when Mujigae caught them at sea, the regional disaster and risk reduction agency said in a report on Sunday.