East China coastal province braces for Typhoon Bavi

HANGZHOU -- As Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of the year, moves closer to China, East China's coastal province of Zhejiang on Wednesday activated an offshore typhoon emergency response.

The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters urged coastal localities and relevant authorities to closely monitor the typhoon's development and make full preparations, including arranging shelter for key vessels, securing fishing boats in ports, suspending maritime routes and closing marine tourism sites.

According to the Zhejiang meteorological service, Typhoon Bavi was located over waters about 1,580 kilometers southeast of Keelung, Taiwan, at 8 am on Wednesday.

The typhoon is forecast to move westward at a speed of around 15 to 20 kilometers per hour before gradually turning northwestward on Wednesday night.