China renews blue alert for Typhoon Nakri

BEIJING - China's national observatory on Wednesday morning renewed a blue alert for Typhoon Nakri which is expected to bring heavy winds to parts of the country's southern region.

The eye of Nakri, this year's 24th typhoon, was located in the southeastern areas of South China Sea about 570 km southeast of Sansha city of Hainan Province, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

It will continue to linger in the southeastern areas of South China Sea and start to move west and strengthen in Friday, the NMC said.

Driven by Typhoon Nakri and cold air, gales are expected to hit regions including Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan as well as some sea areas nearby from Wednesday to Thursday.

Local governments are required to prepare for emergency response and disaster rescue for possible natural disasters caused by Nakri, according to the NMC.

Ships passing related sea areas should be called back to ports and outdoor operations should be halted in hazardous areas, the center said.

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