BEIJING / HAIKOU / GUANGZHOU - The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters raised its emergency response for flood and typhoon prevention from level III to level II in the Guangdong and Hainan provinces at 3 pm Thursday, as Typhoon Yagi approaches.

The eye of Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, was located on the sea approximately 540 km southeast of Xuwen county, Guangdong province, at 2 pm Thursday.

Yagi is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon or evening somewhere between the city of Qionghai in Hainan and Maoming city in Guangdong.

Due to the approaching typhoon, the main section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be closed temporarily from 9 pm Thursday, according to the bridge's emergency rescue headquarters.

ALSO READ: Guangdong raises emergency response as it braces for Typhoon Yagi

Affected by Yagi, parts of Guangdong and Hainan will be pounded by rainstorms from Thursday to Sunday, with daily rainfall likely to reach around 500 mm or more. All childcare institutions, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and secondary vocational schools in Guangdong's Zhuhai city have been asked to suspend classes, local authorities have said.

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

As of Wednesday noon, a total of 84,873 fishing boats in Guangdong had returned to ports to take shelter, and 10,221 fishing farm workers had also been evacuated, according to the provincial emergency management department.

Local water resources authorities have sent 61 rescue teams with 1,916 rescue workers to regions prone to typhoon-triggered disasters, with sufficient disaster relief materials in warehouses ready to be dispatched. 

ALSO READ: China raises emergency response to floods in Hainan as typhoon rages

Hainan also upgraded its emergency response to typhoon Yagi to the highest level at 11:30 am Thursday, according to the provincial disaster management authority.

Starting Wednesday, over 78,000 fishermen and offshore construction and oil drilling workers in Hainan had ceased operations and were evacuated. An estimated 240,000 people in Wenchang are expected to be relocated, along with more than 28,300 residents in hazardous areas, including those in dilapidated houses and landslide-prone regions across Hainan.

Haikou, capital of Hainan, began suspension of work, schools, public transportation and other services starting from noon. Multiple scenic spots across Hainan have been temporarily closed.

All inbound and outbound flights at Haikou Meilan International Airport are expected to be canceled from 8 pm Thursday until Friday night.

The high-speed railway loop line in Hainan and Haikou city train services will be suspended starting at 6 pm Thursday. Additionally, taxi, bus and other passenger transport services in Haikou will temporarily cease operations from 10 pm.

Over 100 boats and vessels, 37 fire trucks, 11 rescue aircraft and 293 fire and rescue personnel have been mobilized in areas likely to be affected by the typhoon to ensure full preparedness for emergency response, according to Hainan's fire and rescue department.

READ MORE: HK issues T3 storm warning as Severe Typhoon Yagi intensifies

Passenger shipping through the Qiongzhou Strait will be suspended from midnight Wednesday to Sunday.