BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) Friday issued a blue alert for Typhoon Mawar, which is expected to hit southern China's Guangdong Province Sunday.

At 5 a.m. Friday, the eye of Mawar, this year's 16th typhoon in the region, was above the South China Sea some 590 km southeast of Shenzhen, Guangdong, packing winds up to 18 meters per second, the national observatory said.

The NMC forecast that Mawar would grow stronger while moving northwestward at a speed of about 10 km per hour toward the central part of Guangdong, expecting it to land in coastal areas Sunday with winds up to 38 meters per second.

The center of the typhoon is expected to weaken quickly after making landfall.

From Friday to Saturday, Mawar will bring gales to some waters near Fujian and Taiwan, as well as parts of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, parts of Guangdong and Taiwan will experience storms, the NMC said.

The NMC suggested local governments take precautions against possible disasters, and ships in affected areas return to port.

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