China will implement a plan to control the country’s major air pollutants, PM2.5 and ozone (O3), the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said Tuesday.

While reducing the level of hazardous fine particle matter PM2.5 is still the top priority, the country will take measures to simultaneously curb O3 pollution, Liu Youbin, a MEP official, said at a press conference.

In order to contain O3, the country will reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which are considered O3 precursors.

China’s environmental authorities have been undertaking inspections to discover the sources of air pollution, especially in the smog-plagued Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

The MEP reiterated Tuesday that it will have “zero tolerance” for companies that have violated environmental laws, and encouraged local authorities to protect the legal rights of enterprises that abide by the law.

Latest data showed that the density of PM2.5 nationwide dropped 6.9 percent year on year in July, while Beijing reported PM2.5 density of 64 micrograms per cubic meter in the first seven months of 2017, down 34.7 percent from the same period in 2013.

China will implement a plan to control the country’s major air pollutants, PM2.5 and ozone (O3), the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said Tuesday.

While reducing the level of hazardous fine particle matter PM2.5 is still the top priority, the country will take measures to simultaneously curb O3 pollution, Liu Youbin, a MEP official, said at a press conference.

In order to contain O3, the country will reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which are considered O3 precursors.

China’s environmental authorities have been undertaking inspections to discover the sources of air pollution, especially in the smog-plagued Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

The MEP reiterated Tuesday that it will have “zero tolerance” for companies that have violated environmental laws, and encouraged local authorities to protect the legal rights of enterprises that abide by the law.

Latest data showed that the density of PM2.5 nationwide dropped 6.9 percent year on year in July, while Beijing reported PM2.5 density of 64 micrograms per cubic meter in the first seven months of 2017, down 34.7 percent from the same period in 2013.

Chinese authorities activated a national disaster alert and response mechanism for Typhoon Hato Tuesday afternoon, to help local civil affairs departments prepare for relief work.

Civil affairs departments in several southern provinces should remain on duty around the clock, according to an urgent notice issued by China National Commission for Disaster Reduction, in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.` The notice asked local authorities publicize forecasts regarding Hato and its predicted routes to enable residents to move to safe places and ships to return to harbor.

The departments should inform residents in typhoon-affected areas to stockpile enough daily necessities for one to three days, said the notice, adding that relief materials and funds should also be prepared to guarantee the basic requirements of disaster-hit residents.

Hato is the 13th typhoon to hit China this year. It is forecast to make landfall in Guangdong Province Wednesday and then move west while losing strength.

Thousands of people were evacuated Tuesday in parts of south China in preparation for the arrival of Typhoon Hato, set to make landfall Wednesday.

The eye of Hato, the 13th typhoon to hit China this year, was recorded 415 km southeast of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province as of 9 p.m. Tuesday. It is expected to move northwest at speeds between 20 kph and 25 kph, according to Guangdong provincial meteorological bureau.

The coast between Zhuhai and Yangjiang should prepare for the typhoon to make landfall on Wednesday morning, it said.

Fishermen and fish farm workers have been evacuated from the coast.

Train services on the Guangzhou-Nanning line will be suspended starting 5 a.m. Wednesday, said railway authorities in neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Nanning is the regional capital.

High-speed trains linking Shenzhen with the eastern provinces of Fujian and Jiangxi will also be canceled. In coastal Fujian, more than 4,000 fish farmers and their families have returned to shore and all fishing boats returned to harbor Tuesday.

The typhoon is expected to bring heavy rain to Guangdong and Fujian. Huge waves as high as ten meters are expected in the South China Sea as the typhoon moves past, according to the State Oceanic Administration.

Guangdong’s flood relief agency said Hato could cause severe damage because it is growing stronger as it nears shore. The typhoon also comes at a time when the Guangdong coast was busy with tourists and fish farm workers. The agency warned of possible severe flooding in low-lying areas.

On Tuesday, southwestern province of Guizhou has also started disaster alert measures ahead of the typhoon’s arrival.

From Tuesday to Friday, Guizhou will see rainstorms in its western and southern areas, according to the provincial meteorological bureau. Some regions are expected to receive over 300 millimeters of precipitation.

The provincial disaster relief office has issued warnings for natural disasters.

China’s national weather observatory issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Tuesday as heavy rain is expected in most of southern China and parts of northern China over the next 24 hours.

From Tuesday to Wednesday, torrential rain is expected in parts of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanxi, Hebei and Liaoning provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Some regions will receive up to 190 millimeters of precipitation, the NMC said.

The center warned local authorities to limit outdoor activities and take precautions against flooding and geological disasters.

This year’s 13th typhoon, Hato, is expected to make landfall in Guangdong on Wednesday, bringing torrential rain and gales over the coming days.

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