Warning remains in place as Typhoon Dolphin approaches China's coast

The National Meteorological Center on Friday maintained its yellow alert for Typhoon Dolphin, forecasting the powerful storm will make landfall along the country's eastern coast this weekend after crossing the East China Sea.

Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th named storm of the year, was centered about 820 kilometers east of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, at 8 am Friday.

The strong typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 meters per second, while the minimum central pressure reached 950 hectopascals.

The storm is expected to move westward at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour, maintaining its current strength or intensifying slightly before entering the East China Sea.

It is then forecast to slow as it approaches China's east coast and could make landfall between southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian provinces from Sunday afternoon through early Monday, with sustained winds of 35 to 42 meters per second.

After landfall, Dolphin is expected to track west-northwestward while gradually weakening, the center said.

The weather authority warned of gale-force winds over much of the East China Sea between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. Gusts reaching 24.5 meters per second are forecast for the waters east of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, Hangzhou Bay, and coastal areas of Zhejiang and northeastern Fujian.

Across most of the East China Sea, winds are expected to reach 28.5 meters per second. Areas near the storm's center could experience winds of 46.2 meters per second.

Northern Taiwan is forecast to receive heavy rain and isolated downpours of 50 to 80 millimeters between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. A round of strong wind and heavy rainfall is expected to hit East China around Sunday, the center said.