Members from a civilian rescue team transfer flood-stranded people with a rubber boat in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, July 29, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

FUZHOU / SHIJIAZHUANG / BEIJING - More than 880,000 residents of east China's Fujian province have been affected by Typhoon Doksuri, which made landfall in the province on Friday morning.

Typhoon Doksuri landed on the coast of Jinjiang City at 9:55 am on Friday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain. It moved to Jiangxi province on Friday night, where it gradually weakened into a tropical storm.

The Fujian provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters on Saturday said that, as of 8:00 am Saturday, 354,400 people have been evacuated and 146,200 people have been relocated to safer areas.

Official meteorological forecasts show that heavy rainfall will continue in many parts of Fujian. Six local observation stations have recorded their highest daily precipitation figures since 1961

More than 6,333 hectares of farmlands in Fujian have been affected, with over 151 hectares suffering complete crop failure. A total of 44 houses have collapsed and 178 houses have been severely damaged, with direct economic losses totaling 428 million yuan (about $59.99 million).

Official meteorological forecasts show that heavy rainfall will continue in many parts of Fujian. Six local observation stations have recorded their highest daily precipitation figures since 1961.

The provincial meteorological bureau has issued warnings for possible secondary disasters such as mountain torrents, mudslides, landslides, and urban and rural waterlogging in its coastal cities and northern regions, including Putian, Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Ningde.

Hebei

A total of 20,656 people in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei province, have been evacuated as the province has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall since Friday due to Typhoon Doksuri, the fifth typhoon of this year.

From 8 pm Friday to 6 am Sunday, downpours battered most parts of Hebei. The precipitation at some meteorological observation stations in the province has exceeded 400 mm. The provincial meteorological observatory continued to issue a red alert for heavy rain at 5 am Sunday.

As the rainstorm is forecasted to continue, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters decided to upgrade the flood control and typhoon emergency response from level III to level II at 1 am Sunday.

Fuping County, situated in the remote region of Taihang Mountain, has relocated 1,901 people from 601 households at risk of mountain floods and geological disasters. 

Red alert

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) continued to issue a red alert, the country's highest weather alert, for rainstorms on Sunday.

From 2 pm Sunday to 2 pm Monday, heavy downpours and rainstorms are forecast in Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Xinjiang, according to the NMC.

Some parts of these regions are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation surpassing 60 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

ALSO READ: New round of torrential rain set to batter 13 provincial regions

Local governments have been urged to fulfill their emergency and rescue responsibilities effectively. The center has also suggested that assemblies, classes and businesses be suspended and called for efforts to guard against possible disasters such as mountain torrents, landslides and mudslides.

China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.