China issues red alert as Typhoon Nida approaches

Beijing, Aug 1 (IANS) China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) on Monday issued a red alert for ocean waves and storm tides as Typhoon Nida approached the mainland.

From Monday onwards, sea waves as high as 11 metres were expected in the northern South China Sea, while the southern Taiwan Strait was forecast to witness waves as high as seven metres, Xinhua news agency reported.

The SOA also issued a red alert for storm tides and estimated that the sea level off the Pearl River estuary will rise by up to 220 cm.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has asked people in the forecast path of the typhoon to stock up on three days of daily essentials adding that emergency mechanisms for disaster relief will be activated if necessary.

Typhoon Nida is expected to approach Guangdong province on Tuesday, probably around the Pearl River Delta.

China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.