Staff members clean up sewerage facilities in Panyu district of Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Sept 8, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING / HAIKOU - China's national observatory on Monday continued to issue a yellow alert, the third highest in a four-colored warning system, for Typhoon Koinu, which is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the country's southern regions.

Typhoon Koinu, the 14th typhoon of this year, was located around 90 km southeast of Taishan city in Guangdong province at 5 am on Monday, packing winds of up to 118.8 kph near its center, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The National Meteorological Center said the typhoon is traveling westward at a speed of up to 10 kph, with its strength likely to gradually weaken

The center said the typhoon is traveling westward at a speed of up to 10 kph, with its strength likely to gradually weaken.

Affected by the typhoon, parts of Guangdong will be lashed by heavy rain or rainstorms from Monday to Tuesday, while some coastal regions in Taiwan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hainan and Guangxi will experience gales.

READ MORE: Typhoon Koinu set to hammer Guangdong

The center advised local authorities to prepare for the typhoon by ordering ships to return to ports, suspending outdoor activities, and remaining on high alert for possible floods and geological disasters.

The southern Chinese island province of Hainan has ordered the suspension of all ferry services in the Qiongzhou Strait starting at 2 pm Monday as Typhoon Koinu approaches.

Typhoon Koinu is forecast to bring strong gales and heavy rain to the northern half of the island province from Monday night to Wednesday, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service. This has prompted local authorities to issue a level-IV alert against the typhoon.

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The typhoon moved at about 10 kph toward the eastern coast of Hainan. It might finally disappear in the coastal sea areas northeast of Hainan.

The Hainan Maritime Safety Administration has initiated a level-III typhoon emergency response, urging more than 1,820 ships in its jurisdiction area to return to ports to take shelter.

Local railway authorities have also suspended passenger train services into and out of the island from Monday to Wednesday.