Chinese coastal areas issue red alert for Typhoon Trami

Coastal areas in south China's Hainan Province on Saturday afternoon issued a red alert, the highest alert level, for typhoon Trami.

Trami is expected to circle over the waters from the southern coast of Hainan Island to the Xisha Islands on Sunday night, before moving eastward, gradually losing its intensity, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service.

From Saturday to Tuesday, Trami will bring strong winds and heavy rains to the sea areas near Hainan.

"Based on the current monitoring, Trami is expected to move westward at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, gradually increasing intensity. As it approaches Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands, its strongest intensity may reach typhoon level. Starting Sunday, it will circle over the sea areas from the southern coast of Hainan Island to the Xisha Islands, and then its intensity will begin to weaken," said Wu Zhiyan, chief forecaster from the Hainan Meteorological Service.

The service maintained its Level-IV warning for typhoon on Saturday morning. Due to Trami, some sea areas around Hainan are expected to experience strong winds, and the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands will face intense winds and rainfall from Saturday to Tuesday.

On Saturday afternoon, the Sansha Municipal Meteorological Bureau upgraded the alert for the typhoon from orange to red in parts of Xisha Islands. A red warning for heavy rain was issued in the Yongle Islands of Xisha.

The Hainan Meteorological Service forecasts that Typhoon Trami will bring persistent strong winds and heavy rains to the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands, as well as sustained strong winds in the central South China Sea.

Trami also caused flooding in Yongxing Island on Saturday morning, drenching the streets.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Chinese coastal areas issue red alert for Typhoon Trami

A wildfire that engulfed part of a forest in Shantou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday has been extinguished after 17 hours of concerted efforts by multiple departments including emergency response, firefighting and public security units.

Villagers living at the foot of Xianglu Mountain were the first to notice the fire erupting on its slopes.

"It looked far away and I thought it was just someone burning garbage," recalled one villager.

Upon discovering the fire, local authorities immediately organized personnel to combat the flames, with mobilization of over 200 rescuers from surrounding areas to assist in the firefighting efforts.

"We were divided into two to three groups, with one conducting regular firefighting and another using water pumps to extinguish the fire," said one rescuer.

Given the rapid spread of the fire, local officials also called in aerial support with helicopters to aid in extinguishing the blaze. Furthermore, many personnel organized by local grassroots departments were actively involved in the firefighting efforts.

By 06:00 on Monday, the wildfire was finally extinguished without causing any casualties. The dry climate in winter increases the risk of forest fire in the region. However, the cause of the forest fire is still under investigation.

Wildfire extinguished in south China's Guangdong after 17 hours of efforts