Tropical storm Cimaron approaches S China

BEIJING - Cimaron, the eighth tropical storm to hit China this year, is approaching South China, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center said Wednesday.

The tropical storm, moving northwest at a speed of 16 km per hour, is expected to make landfall in east China's Guangdong Province and the southern parts of neighboring Fujian Province in the early morning on Friday, according to the center.

The center issued blue alerts for both sea waves and storm tides on Wednesday.

The center said the storm will create sea waves as high as 3 to 5 meters in the northeast part of the South China Sea Wednesday night and Thursday daytime.

During the same period, sea waves as high as 2 to 3 meters are expected in waters near the Diaoyu Islands and the Taiwan Strait, according to the center.

Cimaron is expected to dump up to 500 mm of rain in Quanzhou, a coastal city in Fujian, and the city of Shanwei in Guangdong on Thursday, the center said.

The center warned ships in affected areas to take safety measures, as well as called on relevant organizations to take precautions against high sea waves.

Authorities are also urged to carry out inspections and maintenance for wave protection facilities.

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