China issues orange alert for Typhoon Noul, Level-IV emergency response

BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Friday morning issued an orange alert, the second-highest in its four-tier system, for Typhoon Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year, as it forms and heads toward the coast of southeastern China.

At 5 a.m. on Friday, the center of Typhoon Noul was located about 560 km northeast of Manila, the Philippines, on the ocean surface. It is forecast to move west by north at a speed of 25-30 km per hour, according to the National Meteorological Center.

It is expected to make landfall along the coast from Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong to Zhangpu in Fujian in east China on Saturday night through Sunday morning, after which it will turn northward and gradually weaken in intensity.

From 8 a.m. on Friday to 8 a.m. on Saturday, heavy to torrential rainfall is expected in parts of eastern and southern Taiwan Island.

Meanwhile, strong winds are expected in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, the Bashi Channel, the sea areas east of Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait, the southern part of the East China Sea, as well as coastal areas of Taiwan, Fujian and the central and eastern parts of Guangdong.

The country's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood and typhoon control in Guangdong and Fujian, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

In response to the approaching typhoon, Guangdong has activated a series of emergency measures.

Passenger ferry routes in affected areas have been suspended, while passenger vessels have halted operations. Thousands of offshore workers, including those on oil platforms, will finish evacuation as of noon on Friday, the provincial maritime safety administration said.

Rescue vessels, helicopters, tugboats and cleanup ships have been deployed for emergency response purposes.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for typhoons, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. It also has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.