China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC) on Thursday issued an orange alert for ocean waves as Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, continues to approach the China's eastern coastal regions.

According to the alert issued at 8 a.m., waves of 6 to 10 meters are expected in the eastern part of the East China Sea from Thursday morning to Friday morning, triggering an orange-level warning for offshore waters.

During the same period, waves of 2 to 3 meters are forecast in the coastal waters off east China's Zhejiang Province, with a blue-level warning issued for nearshore waters.

The NMEFC advised vessels operating in the affected waters to ensure safety, while relevant coastal authorities were urged to take precautionary measures against high waves.

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Thursday also renewed a blue alert for Typhoon Dolphin.

As of 5 a.m. Thursday, the center of Dolphin was located over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, about 1,360 kilometers east of Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province. The typhoon was maintaining its intensity, with maximum winds of 42 meters per second near its center.

The NMC said Dolphin will move west-northwestward at a speed of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour, with little change in intensity. It is expected to enter the East China Sea on Friday after passing through the Ryukyu Islands and gradually approach the eastern coast of China.

The typhoon is expected to enter China's 48-hour typhoon warning zone on Thursday night.

Strong winds are forecast to affect most parts of the East China Sea, the southeastern Yellow Sea, waters east of Taiwan, the eastern coast of Taiwan Island, the Bashi Channel, as well as the central and southern parts of the South China Sea from Thursday morning to Friday morning.

According to the forecast, the peripheral subsiding airflow associated with the typhoon will sustain high temperatures across east China on Thursday and Friday.

From August 8 to 12, under the influence of Typhoon Dolphin, heavy to torrential rainfall is expected in Jiangnan, Jianghan, Jianghuai and Huanghuai, with some areas forecast to experience severe rainstorms. From August 12 to 14, the remnant circulation of the weakened typhoon, combined with cold air, is expected to bring heavy to torrential rainfall to parts of north China, eastern Inner Mongolia and southern part of northeast China.

Meteorological authorities said that regardless of its eventual track, the typhoon will have significant impacts on China, affecting not only the eastern coastal regions but also inland and northern parts of the country.

According to meteorological observations, Dolphin is expected to become the easternmost-generated typhoon to make landfall in China since 1951 if current forecasts hold. The typhoon formed on July 27 and has traveled more than 4,700 kilometers over the past 10 days.

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

(With input from Xinhua)