China initiates level-III response for typhoon Kalmaegi

The shelf for vegetable is almost empty in a supermarket in Haikou, capital of south China's island of Hainan Province, Sept. 15, 2014. The Hainan government issued the highest Grade I alert at 10 a.m. Monday against typhoon Kalmaegi, which was spotted on the sea 645 km southeast of Leizhou City, Guangdong Province at 4 p.m. Monday. People in Hainan flocked into supermarkets to store up food and water. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

China's flood control authority on Monday initiated a Level-III emergency response to cope with possible flooding as typhoon Kalmaegi approaches the country's southern regions.

Kalmaegi is forecast to make landfall somewhere between Wuchuan in Guangdong Province and Wanning on Hainan Island around noon Tuesday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Coastal areas in Guangdong, all of Hainan Island, and southern parts of Guangxi and Yunnan are expected to be hit by downpours in the coming three days, the Center said.

China has a four-level Typhoon emergency response system, with level one calling for a top emergency response, while level four represents the lowest.

The National Disaster Reduction Commission and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have issued a disaster relief alert for typhoon Kalmaegi, urging local departments to be on around the clock stand by.

Both Guangdong and Hainan provincial governments issued Grade I alerts on Monday for Kalmaegi, which was 645 km southeast of Leizhou City, Guangdong Province at 4 p.m. Monday.

The storm is moving at a speed of 30 km per hour northwestward with winds of up to 137 km per hour, said the National Meteorological Center.

In Hainan, spokesman for the provincial flood control headquarters Chen Wu said nearly 26,000 fishing boats had returned to port.

Schools, government units who have no work related to typhoon prevention, and enterprises, will have Tuesday off in Haikou, the provincial capital.

Shipping services and passenger trains on the Qiongzhou Strait, which connects Hainan and Guangdong, were suspended at 1 p.m. Monday.