China activates emergency response to flooding as this year's first typhoon approaches

China's Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday issued a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in southern and southeastern regions, following a tropical depression over the South China Sea that had grown into this year's first typhoon in the morning.

The center of Typhoon Wutip (Butterfly) was located near Yongxing Dao in the city of Sansha in China's southernmost island province of Hainan, at 2 pm on Wednesday, according to the ministry.

Strong rain caused by the approaching Typhoon Wutip will hit China's regions including Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian from Thursday to Sunday, and the water levels of some medium and minor rivers in the regions are projected to exceed warning thresholds, the ministry said.

The ministry emphasized the importance of preventing floods in small and medium-sized rivers, as well as mountain torrents in the affected areas, to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

The ministry has dispatched two teams to Hainan and Guangdong to aid flood prevention work.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most severe.