emirates7 - The southern Chinese island province of Hainan has elevated its emergency response to the highest level for Super Typhoon Yagi, as announced by the provincial disaster management authority at 11:30 am Thursday.

According to Xinhua, the provincial meteorological bureau reported that Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, has intensified into a Super Typhoon with a level 17 rating. The storm is packing winds of up to 209 km/h and is moving towards Hainan.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon, with possible impact between Wenchang City in Hainan and Xuwen County in Guangdong Province, the bureau added.