China raises weather alert as two typhoons approach

China's meteorological authorities on Tuesday upgraded its typhoon alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest in its four-tier system, as two typhoons are expected to make landfall in the country in the coming days.

Typhoon Narra, the 19th typhoon of the year, is forecast to land in China between late Tuesday night and Wednesday, while Typhoon Saudel, this year's 18th typhoon, may hit the Chinese coast between late Thursday night and Friday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Narra was located over the Beibu Gulf about 65 km west-northwest of Dongfang City in south China's Hainan Province.

The NMC expected Narra to move slowly northeastward at a speed of 5 to 10 km per hour, skimming the northwest coast of Hainan before hitting the coast between southeastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the western Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong Province. It will weaken quickly after landfall, the center said.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Saudel was located over the northwest Pacific Ocean about 920 km east of Taipei, China's Taiwan region, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. The NMC said it is likely to enter the East China Sea on Wednesday morning before making landfall along the coast from central Zhejiang to central Fujian provinces.

From 2 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday, parts of Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Hainan are expected to see torrential rain, with some areas receiving exceptionally heavy rainfall, said the NMC.

Typhoon Gaenari, the 20th typhoon of the year, made landfall along the coast of Quanzhou in Fujian at around 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

China's Ministry of Water Resources on Monday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Fujian and sent a work team to assist local disaster relief efforts, as Typhoon Gaenari brought heavy rainfall and could cause water levels to rise in several rivers from Monday to Tuesday.