China issues "orange" alert as Typhoon Huxia nears landfall

China’s meteorological authorities have issued an “orange” alert — the second-highest in the country’s four-tier warning system — as Typhoon Huxia intensifies and approaches the southern coastline, the China Meteorological Administration said on July 25.

The storm strengthened from a tropical storm into a typhoon earlier in the day and is expected to make landfall overnight on July 26. Forecasts indicate it will hit areas near Hong Kong and parts of Guangdong province to the east, including the coastal city of Huilai.

“Heavy rainfall is expected” across southern China on July 25, with Guangdong, neighbouring Fujian province, and Taiwan likely to be among the hardest-hit areas, according to meteorologists.

The system is then projected to move northward, bringing further adverse weather conditions. Over the next 24 hours, torrential rain is forecast in northeastern regions, including Heilongjiang province along the Russian border, as well as Jilin and the coastal province of Liaoning.

Additional downpours are expected in eastern Shandong, central Henan, and parts of Yunnan in the southwest.

China’s emergency response framework classifies weather warnings into four levels — “red” (highest), “orange” (high), “yellow” (elevated), and “blue” (moderate) — with authorities scaling disaster response measures accordingly to limit damage, prevent casualties, and manage recovery efforts.

By Tamilla Hasanova