Overnight, this year’s No. 9 typhoon “Litchma” completed the “triple jump” from a typhoon through a strong typhoon to a super typhoon, and approached gradually to the coastal area of Zhejiang in an aggressive manner. On the morning of August 8, the Provincial Office of the Prevention of Flood, Typhoon and Drought held a video conference on the defense against “Litchma”, and decided to raise the emergency response level to grade III.

The Provincial Party Committee Secretary Che Jun and Governor Yuan Jiajun respectively made an instruction to emphasize that the super typhoon “Litchma” is fierce, windy and extremely destructive. All the relevant departments in all localities must attach great importance to it, must strengthen their responsibilities, and must implement measures as soon as possible to prevent huge floods, critical risks and major disasters by strengthening the bottom line thinking, so as to make preparations for the defense against the flood and the typhoon. It is important to do a good job in ensuring the returning of the fishing vessels to home ports, the defense against potential geological hazards, and personnel transfer and resettlement, to strive to minimize the negative impacts of this typhoon.

At present, this super typhoon is approaching Zhejiang. The reporter learned from the Provincial Meteorological Service Center that by 17:00 on August 8, the “Litchma” center is located about 600 kilometers southeast of Wenling City, and the maximum wind force near the center measures 17 (58 m/s) on the scale. It is expected that “Litchma” will move to the northwest at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour, enter the East China Sea in the early morning of the 9th, and gradually approach the coastal areas of Zhejiang province. It is possible to for it to land on the coast of Xiangshan to Wenling on the morning of August 10. And it is also possible for it to land the coastal area of Ningbo and then to move northward.

Due to the high intensity and sufficient water vapor, “Litchma” will bring serious wind and rainfall to this province. On the night of August 8, there were showers in the coastal areas of the province, and heavy rains in some areas. On August 9, there were heavy rains and rainstorms n the majority of areas, and heavy rainstorms in some parts of the eastern and northern areas of the province, with the cumulative rainfall over the whole process ranging from 100 mm to 150 mm in most areas, 180mm to 250mm in some areas, and 400mm to 500mm in certain areas.

In this regard, the Provincial Water Resources Department has initiated Class IV emergency response to flood and drought prevention (anti-typhoon) in advance, to discharge the large and medium-sized reservoirs to vacate the storage capacity as much as possible in the potentially affected areas on the premise of ensuring the safety in the downstream areas. The plain areas in this province were discharged in advance to further reduce the water level of the river network. Inspection and supervision were made on the seawall embankments, the reservoirs and mountain ponds, the drainage sluices, and the dangerous sections, and if necessary, a keen eye should be kept on it for 24 hours.

Since August 1, the comprehensive fishing moratorium in this province has ended. A large number of marine fishing vessels are working at sea, and these boats are the top priority in the defense against the typhoon. On August 6, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a notice to the coastal fishery authorities, requiring the marine fishing vessels of this province to return to the home ports as soon as possible to keep away from the typhoon. The offshore fishing vessels should avoid the forecast big wave area as soon as possible and return to the home ports to keep away from the typhoon, or transfer to a relatively safe sea area. On August 8, the Provincial Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department launched Class III emergency response.

The Provincial Office of the Prevention of Flood, Typhoon and Drought requires that all departments at all levels must give top priority to the defense against No. 9 typhoon currently,  make full preparations for the defense work against the head-on attack on this province to defend against strong winds, rainstorms, smashing waves, attach the greatest importance to people’s safety, and make the defense work more meticulous and comprehensive, in order to plan for the worst, prepare fully and minimize the damage caused by typhoon.