China's Fujian upgrades emergency response as Typhoon Gaemi approaches

FUZHOU, July 24 (Xinhua) -- East China's Fujian Province upgraded the emergency response level for typhoons from Level III to Level II on Wednesday as Typhoon Gaemi, the third typhoon of this year, is forecast to land the province's coast on Thursday.

Around 9 a.m. Wednesday, the center of Gaemi was located approximately 195 km southeast of Taiwan's Yilan County, packing winds of up to 201.6 km per hour near its center. The typhoon is forecast to move northwest at an estimated speed of 15 km per hour and gain force.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall along the coast of central or northern Taiwan on Wednesday night. After crossing the island, it is projected to make landfall between Thursday afternoon and midnight along the coast between Fujian's Fuding and Jinjiang, according to the meteorological authorities in Fujian.

Fujian provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters also activated a level IV emergency response for rainstorms on Wednesday.

Influenced by the typhoon, rainstorms are expected to lash many parts of Fujian in the coming three days, and the province's central and northern coastal areas are likely to record accumulated rainfall of up to 350 millimeters, with some areas even exceeding 600 millimeters.