Southern Chinese provinces are recalling ships to port and suspending ferry services amid warnings of strong wind and heavy rain caused by the approaching typhoon Talim.

Talim, the 4th typhoon of this year, is forecast to come ashore near Wenchang of Hainan Province and Taishan of Guangdong Province on Monday evening, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service.

Currently classified as a severe tropical storm, Talim is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon or a severe typhoon upon landfall, it said.

Wang Xiangxi, Chinese minister of emergency management, called for emergency responses to protect the safety of the people.

The ministry has coordinated the study of Talim's development and the implementation of emergency responses in Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi.

The Hainan Meteorological Service on Sunday morning upgraded the emergency response for typhoons from Level-IV to Level-III, predicting intense rainstorms starting from Sunday.

The island province of Hainan has warned ships operating in nearby seas to return to ports in time to take shelter. As of Saturday, all 16,293 fishing ships in the province have been ported.

A 200-people team has been formed for potential emergencies like floods.

The meteorological observatory of Guangdong also said strong winds and heavy rainfall will hit the province from Monday to Tuesday due to the typhoon. It has warned of possible damage to coastal ports, seawalls and related facilities, as well as crops.

The province has upgraded the emergency response for typhoons to Level-II. Local maritime authorities have strengthened traffic safety management for the Pearl River estuary, Qiongzhou Strait, Wanshan Islands and other areas that may be affected, preventing ships from taking the risk of sailing.

Nearly 10,000 Guangdong people working on the sea have returned to land under government guidance.

More than 20 ships and two helicopters have been prepared for emergencies.

The passenger roll-on/roll-off ship service in Qiongzhou Strait, which connects Hainan and Guangdong, has been suspended from 6 a.m. local time on Sunday, authorities said.

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to the west of Guangdong, also launched Level-IV emergency response for typhoons.

(With input from Xinhua.)