BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Thursday morning renewed a blue alert for Typhoon Danas, which is expected to bring heavy winds and rainfall to parts of the country's southeast region.
The eye of Danas, this year's fifth typhoon, was located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean about 390 km southwest of Okinawa, Japan, as of 10 a.m. Thursday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.
It will continue to move north at a speed of around 35 km per hour and strengthen as it approaches the East China Sea, the NMC said.
Driven by Typhoon Danas, gales are expected to hit regions including Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang as well as some sea areas nearby from Thursday to Friday.
Parts of Guangdong and Taiwan will be hit by heavy rainfall, with precipitation up to 90 mm within 24 hours.
Local governments are required to prepare for emergency response and disaster rescue for possible natural disasters caused by Danas, according to the NMC.
Ships passing related sea areas should be called back to ports and outdoor operations should be halted in hazardous areas, the center said.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for severe weather, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
