Typhoon Lekima makes second landing in east China coast

Typhoon Lekima makes its second landing at 8:50 p.m. on Sunday on the coast of Huangdao district, the city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, packing winds up to 82.8 km per hour, according to China Meteorological Administration.

A general view of a flooded area after heavy rains in Zouping City, Shandong Province, Aug.11, 2019. [Photo: IC]

A total of 26 reservoirs in Shandong have opened floodgates to release water as of 4 p.m. on Sunday. Six rivers in the province have seen obvious floods, said the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Heavy rain is expected to hit cities in Shandong, Hebei, Liaoning and Jilin, according to a statement released by the National Meteorological Center and the Ministry of Water Resources.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the super typhoon had impacted 6.51 million people in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong and Fujian as well as the Shanghai Municipality, said the Ministry of Emergency Management.

A total of 32 people died and 16 remain missing after Lekima, the ninth and strongest typhoon of the year, landed around 1:45 a.m. Saturday in the city of Wenling in Zhejiang Province.

Authorities have mobilized rescue and relief efforts, with the participation of firefighters, soldiers, policemen and government staff.