Typhoon Lionrock to bring gales, downpours to NE China

BEIJING -- Typhoon Lionrock, the tenth of the year, is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain to Northeast China over the next few days, the country's top meteorological authority said on Sunday.

The eye of Typhoon Lionrock was located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean at 5 am and is expected to make landfall in Japan on Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement of the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Lionrock is likely to hit northeastern China on Wednesday and then weaken to an extratropical cyclone.

The Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea will be hit by gales from Sunday through Wednesday. The country's northeastern regions, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, will see downpours, with rainfall in some parts reaching up to 200 millimeters.

The NMC urged local governments to stay on high alert for possible flooding and other disasters caused by the typhoon, while preparing relief materials.