FUZHOU -- East China's Fujian province activated a Level IV flood control emergency response at 8 am Monday as Typhoon Wipha moves closer, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Wipha, a Thai name, passed over the Philippines at tropical storm strength and drenched parts of Taiwan on Saturday. In the Philippines, the storm intensified seasonal monsoon rains, leaving at least a villager dead in floodwaters in northern Cagayan province.

Hong Kong returned to normality on Monday morning as the Observatory lifted all storm warnings overnight following the departure of Typhoon Wipha, which triggered the highest-level No 10 warning over the weekend.

Asean disaster management officials began conducting a simulation exercise on Monday to review SOPs and improve the region's preparedness to face crises.

The wind force of Wipha was similar to Super Typhoon Saola that triggered the Hurricane Signal No 10 two years ago, even though Wipha was less

Storm Wipha threatens the region with intense rainfall exceeding 600mm and raises the risk of flash floods and landslides.

Typhoon Wipha is the strongest storm to hit Hong Kong in two years, with average wind speeds exceeding 118 kilometers per hour. The last time the No 10 signal was raised was in 2023 when Super Typhoon Saola struck.