Affected by Typhoon Bualoi, the 20th of this year, Xinhai port in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province suspends operations starting from 9 am on September 27, 2025. Photo: VCG

To brace for Typhoon Bualoi, the 20th typhoon of the year, which is set to make a landfall on the coastal areas of north-central Vietnam on Sunday night, schools in South China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces are urged to close. This comes as rainstorms are significantly affecting the sea areas off these two provinces.

The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for rainstorms at 10 am on Sunday. Meanwhile, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center continued to issue an orange warning for ocean waves and blue storm surge warning on Sunday morning.

From 8 pm on Saturday to 8 pm on Sunday, parts of Guangdong and Hainan Province will experience heavy to torrential rain, CCTV News reported. Eastern and southern parts of Hainan will see heavy to extreme rainfall, with localized exceptionally heavy rainfall with 250-260 millimeters.

Bualoi is forecast to move rapidly northwestward at a speed of about 35 kilometers per hour while intensifying, Xinhua reported.

It is moving very rapidly and can be described as a "speedster" among typhoons, according to Weather China, a website affiliated with China Meteorological Administration, citing a meteorological analyst, Yu Qun.

A movement speed of 35-40 km/h is basically the upper limit for typhoons in the South China Sea, but Bualoi is moving significantly faster than typical typhoons in the region, making such a fast-moving typhoon relatively rare.

The Guangdong Provincial Flood Control Headquarters urged relevant regions and departments to enhance forecasting, early warnings, monitoring and promptly activate emergency responses.

In response, Xuwen county in Guangdong has issued a yellow typhoon alert, said Xinhua. Starting from 3 pm on Saturday, local primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and nurseries have suspended classes.

The level III emergency response, the third-highest in China's four-tier warning system, was activated at 8 am on Saturday in Hainan, according to Xinhua. The roll-on and roll-off passenger ferry services across the Qiongzhou Straits have been suspended since 9 am Saturday, and presumably will not resume until Sunday night.

Sanya in Hainan Island also issued a class suspension notice on Saturday afternoon, requiring all primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and off-campus training institutions closed on Sunday, Sanya Education Ministry said on its official WeChat account.

Meteorological authorities advised that, due to the rapid movement of Bualoi, it is essential to promptly relocate people from at-risk areas in the Zhongsha Qundao and Xisha Qundao, enhance the safety of tourism facilities on Hainan Island, and take precautions against urban waterlogging.

Additionally, offshore platforms and vessels operating in the eastern and central parts of the South China Sea are advised to take shelter from strong winds. Ports should be fortified to ensure the proper management of returning fishing boats, along with other precautionary measures.


Global Times