BEIJING / GUANGZHOU - China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday activated a Level-IV emergency response in the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian as Typhoon Ragasa approaches, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
A ministry task force has also been urgently dispatched to Guangdong to guide local flood prevention efforts.
Typhoon Ragasa - the 18th named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season - intensified into a super typhoon on Sunday and is forecast to make landfall between Shanwei in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan on Wednesday.
Impacted by the typhoon, the northern area of the South China Sea and the coastal areas of southern China will be battered by strong winds and heavy rains from Tuesday through Friday.
READ MORE: HK girds for a super typhoon
Wide areas of Guangdong, southern Fujian and Hainan can expect torrential downpours, with some locations likely to see severe or extremely severe rainstorms.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.
Typhoon Ragasa approaches
The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said on Sunday that Ragasa had intensified into a super typhoon Sunday morning, and is expected to make landfall along the coastal areas from Shanwei in Guangdong province to Wenchang in Hainan province between early Wednesday and the afternoon on Wednesday.
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Meteorologists have warned that Ragasa is moving rapidly while maintaining its strength, making it the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year.
The NMC noted that from Tuesday to Thursday, heavy to torrential rain is expected in parts of Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian, with some areas likely to receive up to 280 millimeters of precipitation. Some regions in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces will also experience heavy rainfall due to the typhoon's influence.
Authorities in the affected areas have been urged to take preventive measures, relocate residents from high-risk zones in a timely manner, and strengthen safety management for transportation, maritime tourism and urban operations.
Two cities to suspend school, production
Guangdong province on Monday raised its wind emergency response to Level II, with two cities announcing a series of suspension measures, as Typhoon Ragasa approaches.
READ MORE: Hong Kong steps up preparations as Super Typhoon Ragasa nears
The Level II response, the second-highest in China's four-tier warning system, was activated at 10 am on Monday.
Schools will suspend classes starting Tuesday in the cities of Zhuhai and Jiangmen - while work, production, public transport and business operations will also be suspended later on Tuesday, according to the local flood, drought and wind control headquarters.
All passenger ferry services to the Chuanshan Islands in Jiangmen will be suspended starting Tuesday, as the wind speed may reach about 20 meters per second in the nearby sea area.
As of 10 am Monday, the maritime safety administration of the province had relocated over 10,000 coastal vessels across the province to safe waters for shelter.
