Meanwhile, in Changjiang Li autonomous county, the Shilu Reservoir began controlled water releases Wednesday to prevent overflow, with officials adjusting outflow based on rainfall.

The storm is expected to hit the coastal areas between Xuwen county in Guangdong province and Beihai city in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region around noon Saturday as a severe tropical storm before weakening and shifting northeastward.

Guangdong braced for potential impacts by upgrading its emergency response for typhoon preparedness from Level IV to Level III on Friday morning. As of Wednesday evening, all 46 Guangdong-registered fishing vessels operating in Hainan province had returned to harbor.