South China's Hainan province heightened its emergency response for Typhoon Yagi to level II as the storm surged into a super typhoon. Local authorities urged residents to prioritize safety and prepare for the looming threat posed by the escalating weather conditions.

The Hainan Meteorology Administration has issued a warning that this storm could be the strongest typhoon to strike Hainan in the past decade. The last devastating typhoon to hit the island was Rammasun, which left a trail of destruction in its wake.

Passenger ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait have been temporarily halted from midnight on Wednesday until Sunday. Additionally, all flights arriving at and departing from Haikou Meilan International Airport will be grounded from 8 pm on Thursday to midnight on Friday.

The storm's eye is currently positioned about 520 kilometers east of Wenchang, Hainan province, with gusts surging to a level 17 as of early Thursday.

The typhoon is projected to track northwest at 10 to 15 km per hour, steadily intensifying along its path. Meteorologists predict it will make landfall along the coastline from Wenchang to Zhanjiang in Guangdong on Friday afternoon.