Typhoon Kai-Tak to land at noon

BEIJING - China's meteorological authority on Friday morning issued an orange alert for strong gales and downpours in the coastal areas of southern China, as Typhoon Kai-Tak is expected to make landfall in Guangdong Province around noon.

The center of Kai-Tak, the 13th tropical storm of the year, was 190 kilometers southeast off the city of Zhanjiang at 5 am Friday, and will make landfall between the counties of Dianbai and Xuwen at noon, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said.

The CMA said the violent cyclone will pass through the southern parts of Guangdong and Yunnan provinces, as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, over the next 48 hours.

Downpours with rainfall between 250 to 300 millimeters are expected to batter some parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Yunnan in the coming two days, while regions around the Qiongzhou Strait will also see strong winds.

The CMA warned that Kai-Tak will gain strength and bring heavy rains across the northern part of China, including Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei provinces, over the next 48 hours, offering relief from the heat that has scorched the areas in recent days.

The CMA urged local governments to monitor for flooding and landslides that could occur in some mountainous areas and help relocate people in affected areas.

Local flood control authorities have been ordered to call ships back to port and reinforce port facilities.

Since August, several typhoons, including Saola, Damrey and Haikui, have hit China, leaving at least 51 dead and 21 others missing, according to the country's Ministry of Civil Affairs.