On July 8, tropical storm today is heading straight to the east coast of China after devastating Taiwan (China), killing 2 people and injuring more than 600 others.
With winds of about 80 km/h, Today is expected to turn left as it moves northwest before making landfall in the port city of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province.
Local authorities have suspended seaborne passenger transport and cancelled more than 100 trains. Zhejiang province has issued an early flash flood warning, as meteorologists predict that rainfall ranging from 100 to 250mm will fall on a 650 km long strip of land from Fujian - the capital of Fujian province - to Hangzhou - the capital of Zhejiang province.
China, the world's second largest economy, is facing increasing threats from extreme weather phenomena, which meteorologists say are closely linked to climate change. Every year, phenomena such as floods, disruptions to maritime activities and crop damage can cause tens of billions of USD in damage to the country's economy.
After sweeping through Zhejiang province, storm today (formerly storm No. 2 in the East Sea) is forecast to continue moving into Jiangxi province. With rolling hills, this area is especially vulnerable to severe flash floods and widespread flooding.
In Taiwan (China), where Today has passed before moving to mainland China, record winds and heavy rainfall have caused power outages, landslides and flooding in many areas. Local authorities are still conducting work to overcome the consequences and count the damage.
