HAIKOU, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in China's southern island province of Hainan have suspended classes in parts of the province and closed 27 tourist attractions as a tropical depression over the South China Sea unleashes torrential rain across the region.
Heavy rainfall is expected to persist over the next three days. Primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and off-campus training institutions in parts of Hainan, including Wanning City, are to suspend classes for one to two days starting Sunday, depending on local conditions.
The Hainan Meteorological Service upgraded its rainstorm warning from Level III to Level II at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. At 11 a.m., the provincial committee for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief elevated its flood and wind emergency response to Level II.
As of 11 a.m. on Sunday, the tropical depression was located in waters about 245 km west-southwest of the city of Sanya in Hainan, with maximum winds of 12 meters per second near its center. The system is expected to make landfall along the central coast of Vietnam on Sunday afternoon or evening.
The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Saturday jointly issued a blue alert for flash floods in parts of southeastern Hainan. Also on Saturday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the CMA jointly issued a yellow alert for geological disaster risks in some areas of southeastern Hainan.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe level. It also has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. ■
