Residents evacuated, boats moored as Typhoon Maria approaches

Residents were evacuated and boats moored in east China Tuesday, as Typhoon Maria, the eighth typhoon this year, approaches the Chinese coast.

Meteorological authorities in Fujian Province said that Maria may bypass northern Taiwan before making landfall in Fujian Wednesday morning. It will whip up gales, high waves, and heavy rain.

Local people in Taizhou, Zhejiang province make preparations ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Maria, July 10, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Fujian has activated an emergency response to deal with the typhoon. All fishing boats were ordered to return to harbor by Tuesday noon and workers at offshore fish farms were required to return to land by 6 p.m. 

In Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian, schools and factories in coastal areas were asked to close Wednesday. Ongoing projects involving highways and ports were suspended.

Eighty-six teams made up of around 1,500 workers from Fujian Expressway Group are on standby to repair damage caused by the typhoon, and firefighters are prepared for rescue missions.

In east China's Zhejiang Province, more than 52,000 people had been evacuated as of Tuesday morning, and over 20,700 fishing boats had returned to port.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the eye of Typhoon Maria was above the sea 560 kilometers southeast of Ningde, Fujian, packing winds up to 187 kilometers per hour, according to China Meteorological Administration.