China has been affected by 14 typhoons since July. (Photo : Getty Images)
Typhoon Meranti is set to hit China during the mid-autumn festival on Thursday. This super typhoon is classified as the 14th and the strongest to hit China this year, according to Xu Yinglong, chief forecaster at the Central Meteorological Observatory.
The typhoon is expected to hit Jiangxi province on Friday. According to the forecaster, another typhoon is about to hit the country.
Xu said, "Residents in China's vast eastern and southern provinces--Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu--as well as Shanghai, will see torrential rains and strong wind gusts from Wednesday. The storm is expected to last for the whole three-day holiday, Thursday to Saturday."
This is the fourth typhoon this year that reached Category 5. Meranti has caused 14-meter waves and sustained winds of 305 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 370 kilometers per hour.
Taiwan has ordered the closure of offices and schools as the typhoon crosses the island.
In mainland China, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued its second high-level warning and has deployed seven teams to oversee the rescue of affected citizens.
Hu Xiao, another observatory expert said, "Several tourist attractions in the affected regions, including Gulangyu Island and Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, may be engulfed by the wild storm during the holiday."
Tourists are warned to stay away from bodies of water that have good views of the moon especially the Qiantang River, according to Hu.
Meteorologists also predict that there will be a low chance for the moon's visibility during the holiday due to heavy storm clouds.
China has been affected by 14 typhoons since July. This is a 4 percent increase from the previous year.
Rapid climate change is blamed for increased frequency and intensity of typhoons that hit the Pacific region.
