China launches emergency response for Typhoon Mawar

BEIJING - The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a level III emergency response on Saturday for the approaching Typhoon Mawar.

The headquarters urged local authorities to take precautions and dispatched eight work teams to the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Jiangxi and Hunan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to prepare aid and relief.

Typhoon Mawar, the 16th typhoon this year, is expected to make landfall in the coastal areas of south China on Sunday, according to a statement from the headquarters.

Downpours are forecast in eastern part of south China, and the biggest rainfall in Guangdong could reach 300 millimeters.

Mawar will also bring gales and large waves when it makes landfall. The regions in Mawar's path were just hit by Hato and Pakhar, the 13th and 14th typhoons this year, making the areas more prone to disasters, the statement said.

China has a four-level emergency response mechanism to deal with droughts and floods, with the first-level to deal with the most serious cases and the fourth-level to prepare for the least serious cases.