BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday launched a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in the provincial-level regions of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian as Typhoon Kong-rey approaches.
Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in southeastern Taiwan's Taitung at around 1:40 p.m. Thursday, according to the local meteorological agency.
The typhoon was forecast to move north and then northeast at an estimated speed of 17 to 24 km per hour, packing winds of up to 184 km per hour near the center, the meteorological agency said.
China's National Meteorological Center on Thursday evening renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms as heavy rainfall is expected in the eastern part of the country.
From 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday, heavy downpours are expected in parts of Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Taiwan.
Some areas in Zhejiang, Shanghai and Taiwan will see precipitation reaching 450 mm, according to the center.
The ministry has dispatched two working groups to Shanghai and Zhejiang to guide flood control work.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level-I being the most severe response, and a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe level, followed by orange, yellow and blue. ■
