Guangdong elevates response level in face of Typhoon Noul

As Typhoon Noul intensified on Saturday, posing serious threats to coastal areas of Guangdong, the water conservancy authority in the province issued a Level II emergency response to control potential flooding.

Relevant government department and coastal cities have been required to strictly enforce the 24-hour on-duty system with leading officials taking charge of shifts, according to a statement released by the Guangdong department of water conservancy on Saturday.

"Noul movements shall be closely tracked, and monitoring and forecasting of wind, rainfall, water regime and hydraulic project conditions will be strengthened," read the statement.

Routine and intensified consultations and risk assessments will be conducted, and local emergency response levels for water conservancy and flood control will be activated or upgraded in a timely manner, it said.

Noul, the 12th named typhoon of the year, was moving closer to the eastern coastal areas of Guangdong on Saturday and was expected to bring severe impacts of gales, heavy rain, storm surges and high waves to the province.

To guard against Noul, Guangdong has evacuated more than 20,000 residents living in low-lying areas, the statement said, while 245 reservoirs across the province have released water to free up storage space.

Transportation has been halted, and schools and scenic spots in some coastal cities have been temporarily closed around Guangdong province.

In Shenzhen special economic zone, the city government has ordered relevant companies and units to suspend classes, construction, production, transportation and business to avoid any possible accidents and casualties, while all offshore workers are required to come ashore and fishing boats to return to shelters.

In Shenzhen's neighbor city of Huizhou, all schools have were ordered to suspend classes starting Saturday morning.

China Railway Guangzhou Group adjusted or suspended operations for all high-speed and regular train services on Saturday, while flight delays and cancellations have been reported in Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports.

Meteorological forecasts have indicated Noul is expected to make landfall on the central and eastern coasts of Guangdong between Saturday night and Sunday morning , spanning from Chaozhou to Shenzhen. It is expected to land as a Category 12–13 typhoon, with a possibility of intensifying into a Category 14 severe typhoon.