China braces for heavy downpours from typhoon Higos
Fishing boats return to ports in Qionghai City, Hainan Province, on August 18, 2020, before typhoon Higos strikes southern China.
Typhoon Higos is expected to bring torrential downpours to regions in southern China in the following days.
A tropical depression in the northeast of the South China Sea intensified into a typhoon at 8am on Tuesday, according to the meteorological department of Hainan Province.
The typhoon will land in coastal areas ranging from the western part of Guangdong to the northeastern part of Hainan on Wednesday. Provinces of Hainan, Guangdong, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will have torrential rains starting from Wednesday, the meteorological department said.
The emergency management department of Hainan has issued a typhoon alert, warning that fishing boats and other vessels should return to harbors.
Meteorologists also alerted relevant areas to take preventive measures and guard against secondary disasters. Tourists are advised not to go out when heavy rain and gales hit the areas.
