China renews orange alert for Typhoon Muifa

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Wednesday reissued an orange alert for Muifa, the 12th typhoon this year, as it is expected to unleash gales and torrential rain on some of the country's coastal areas.

The typhoon, observed over the ocean 275 km southeast of the county of Xiangshan in Zhejiang province at 5 am Wednesday, will move northwestward at a speed of 20 to 25 km per hour with increased intensity, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.

Muifa is expected to make landfall in coastal areas of Zhejiang Province on Wednesday afternoon or evening.

Gales and downpours are forecast to lash Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, the statement said.

The center has advised the aforementioned regions to make emergency preparations for the typhoon and to take precautions against possible geological disasters, while ships and boats have been advised to take shelter in harbors.

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