Beijing, Aug 5 (IANS) Two to three typhoons are expected to make landfall in or affect China in August, the office of the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief and the Ministry of Emergency Management said at a briefing on Tuesday.
One of the typhoons is expected to affect areas north of the Yangtze River, according to the briefing.
In August, all seven major river basins across China fully entered the main flood season of the year, the authorities said, adding that some rivers in the Haihe River, Songhua River and Liaohe River basins are at risk of major flooding.
Meanwhile, the risk of forest fires remains high across parts of the Greater Khingan Mountains, northern Xinjiang, central and southern China, and some southwestern areas.
Western Yunnan faces a heightened risk of geological disasters, while regions along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, areas between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, and central and northern parts of Xinjiang will be prone to heatwaves and drought, according to the briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier on July 30, Co-May, the eighth typhoon of this year, made landfall in east China’s Shanghai Municipality after it also made landfall in Zhejiang Province.
The centre of Typhoon Co-May (tropical storm level) made its second landfall on the coast of Fengxian District, Shanghai. At the time of landfall, the maximum wind speed near the centre was 23 metres per second, accompanied by a central minimum pressure of 978 hectopascals.
To defend against the typhoon, Fengxian District had made early preparations to identify potential risks and carry out the relocation and resettlement of people in dangerous areas.
Earlier, Typhoon Wipha, the seventh typhoon of the year, also made landfall. Heavy rain had lashed the cities of Yangjiang, Zhanjiang and Maoming in China’s southern province Guangdong.
–IANS
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