Nearly 5,000 evacuated as typhoon approaches China

Nearly 5,000 people in eastern China's Fujian province have been evacuated ahead of typhoon Soudelor, the 13th this year, which is expected to hit the province on Saturday, media reported.

The typhoon, which is moving northwestward at a speed of over 20 km per hour, is expected to make landfall along the Fujian coast on Saturday night after hitting Taiwan between Friday night and Saturday morning, China Daily reported.

The provincial authorities also urged fishing boats to return to harbour at the earliest, as gales were predicted for nearby waters later in the day.

The National Meteorological Centre first issued a yellow alert for the typhoon on Thursday morning and renewed an orange alert later in the night.

China has a four-tier warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.