China’s National Meteorological Centre (NMC) on Wednesday renewed a yellow alert for typhoon Saola, which is expected to bring gales and heavy rain to the country’s eastern and southern coastal regions.
In its latest update, the NMC said that Saola was moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of 10 km per hour, and is expected to move into the northeast waters of the South China Sea on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.
It is likely to make landfall on the coast somewhere in an area stretching from southern Fujian to eastern Guangdong during Friday daytime, the national observatory said.
Strong winds will hit the Bashi Channel, the Taiwan Strait and the coast of Fujian from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday due to the typhoon, according to the NMC.
Heavy rains will lash parts of Taiwan Island from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday.
Some areas are likely to experience rainstorms, the Centre said.
The national observatory has urged local authorities to prepare for potential emergencies caused by the typhoon and remain on high alert for possible mountain torrents and geological disasters.