East China province on alert as new typhoon approaches

HANGZHOU, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province on Wednesday upgraded its emergency response from Level IV to Level III, as Typhoon Khanun, the sixth typhoon of this year, moves closer.

Khanun, which comes on the heels of Typhoon Doksuri, is likely to dump heavy rain on the coastal province and whip up billows of 8-10 meters high in the coming days, according to Zhejiang's meteorological service.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the typhoon was observed 610 km southeast of Yuhuan City, packing up a maximum wind force of 16-grade near its center, the meteorological service said, adding that it is likely to further intensify as it tracks toward the coast.

Zhejiang's maritime authorities have beefed up safety patrols and are actively reaching out to ships taking shelter, advising them to take necessary precautions.

China's national observatory on Wednesday renewed a blue alert and advised coastal provinces like Fujian and Zhejiang to make emergency preparations for the typhoon.

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