White alert issued as Typhoon Wutip looms

Shenzhen issued its first typhoon warning of the year at 11 a.m. yesterday, a low-level white alert, as a strengthening Typhoon Wutip was located 727 kilometers southwest of the city. According to the Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory, the storm is heading toward Hainan and Guangdong provinces.

Yachts are moored at Hongzhou Yacht Marina to shelter from Typhoon Wutip in Sanya, Hainan, yesterday. Hainan’s meteorological bureau issued a Level-3 typhoon alert as the year’s first named storm prompted kindergarten closures across multiple cities in Hainan, including Sanya, Qionghai, Wanning, Ledong, Baoting, and Qiongzhong. Xinhua

Some train services to Zhanjiang in southwestern Guangdong, Jingxi in southwestern Guangxi, and Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, for the upcoming weekend have been suspended, according to Shenzhen's rail authority.

After receiving a text message about the suspension of a train service from the railway authority, passengers can apply for a full refund within 30 days (including the day of the journey) from the scheduled departure date of the train, either through the 12306 website or at a railway station ticket window. No refund fees will be charged for cancellations due to train suspension.

A 96-hour projected path of Typhoon Wutip from 5 a.m. June 12 to 5 a.m. June 16. Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory

According to the forecast, Wutip was expected to edge towards Hainan Province and strengthen gradually before making landfall along the coast between Lingshui and Ledong tomorrow morning. It is likely to make a second landfall somewhere along the coast between western Guangdong and southern Guangxi on Saturday.

Outer rainbands associated with the typhoon, named after the Cantonese word for butterfly, have brought gloomy skies, wind, and rain to Shenzhen since yesterday. Torrential rains are expected to hit the city between tomorrow and Sunday.

While temperatures have eased slightly from Tuesday's scorching highs, the temperature in most districts still reached around 31 to 32 degrees Celsius.

A six-day weather forecast for Shenzhen from tomorrow to June 18. Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory