China activates emergency response as Typhoon Noul makes landfall in Guangdong

BEIJING: China on Sunday activated emergency relief measures after Typhoon Noul made landfall in the southern province of Guangdong, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain to large parts of the region.

Typhoon Noul, the 12th cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall along the Guangdong coast early Sunday.

China's National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response for Guangdong, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

Level-IV is the least severe tier in the four-tier emergency response system. Level I is the most critical/severe.

A working team has been dispatched to the affected areas to assess the situation and assist local authorities in relocating and resettling residents, besides ensuring their basic living needs.

The National Development and Reform Commission also allocated 100 million yuan (about USD 14.7 million) from the central budget to support post-disaster recovery efforts in Guangdong.

The funds will primarily be used to restore damaged infrastructure, including roads, water conservancy facilities, schools and hospitals, to help resume normal production and daily life at the earliest.

Ahead of the typhoon's landfall, China's national observatory on Saturday issued a red alert, the highest level in the country's four-tier colour-coded typhoon warning system. Red is followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Emergency measures were also activated in Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, covering large parts of eastern, central and southern China.

In Hong Kong, authorities initiated emergency measures on Saturday as the typhoon approached. More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled, while the Home Affairs Department opened 28 temporary shelters in anticipation of the storm.