Eastern China on alert as typhoon Muifa approaches

Civil affairs agencies in areas along China's eastern coast have been alerted to prepare for typhoon Muifa as it approaches the mainland. The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) issued a circular on Thursday ordering civil affairs agencies in the city of Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi and Shandong to monitor the situation closely and carry out disaster relief operations in a timely manner. Government-run storage bases for relief materials in the cities of Hefei, Fuzhou, Wuhan and Changsha were also advised to prepare for the possible dispersal of their stored materials, according to a statement issued by the MCA on Thursday. The ministry, along with the National Commission for Disaster Reduction, sent a work team to Zhejiang Province on Thursday to direct preparatory work for the typhoon. The storm decreased in power on Wednesday night, going from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon. However, it is still expected to be one of the most powerful storms to hit China in recent years. Meteorological authorities in southeast China's Fujian Province said Muifa was located 1,000 km southeast of the provincial capital of Fuzhou at 8 a.m. Thursday and was heading northwest at a speed of 13 km per hour. Local flood control authorities have called more than 5,000 fishing vessels back to the city's harbor. Meteorological authorities in Zhejiang have predicted that Muifa will likely make landfall in the eastern part of the province Saturday night and cause significant damage. Warnings have been issued to fishing boats in the area. Zhejiang provincial marine fishery authorities have asked 2,000 fishing boats to return to harbor before 12:00 a.m. Saturday. In addition, the Zhejiang Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has ordered local authorities in seaside areas likely to be affected by the typhoon to prepare for a possible evacuation of their residents. Shanghai railway authorities have established an inspection team to examine high-speed railway facilities, stating that some train services may run behind schedule or even be halted if the storm is too severe. China has issued an orange alert for high waves in the East China Sea as the typhoon approaches. Orange is the second-highest level in the country's four-level high wave alert system. The eastern region of the East China Sea is likely to see waves of 6 to 9 meters high, according to a Thursday statement from China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center. Waters off Zhejiang and Fujian will experience waves of 1.5 to 2.5 meters, the statement said.