China issues red alert as Typhoon Muifa expected to make landfall twice

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Wednesday issued a red alert, the most severe warning level, as Typhoon Muifa is expected to make landfall twice later in the day.

The China Meteorological Administration also upgraded the typhoon emergency response to Level II, the second-highest, on the same day.

Muifa, the 12th typhoon this year, was observed over the ocean 185 km southeast of Xiangshan County in Zhejiang Province at 10 a.m. Wednesday. It is expected to move northwestward at a speed of 20 to 25 km per hour, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.

The typhoon will make the first landfall in coastal areas between Sanmen County and Zhoushan City in Zhejiang Province around nightfall, and make the second landfall in coastal areas between Jiaxing City in Zhejiang Province and Shanghai's Pudong District on Wednesday evening.

Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong are expected to experience gales and downpours from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, according to the forecast.

The center has advised the aforementioned regions to make emergency preparations for the typhoon and to take precautionary measures against possible geological disasters, while ships and boats have been asked 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.