China renews blue alert for Typhoon Molave

BEIJING. KAZINFORM - China's national observatory on Monday renewed a blue alert for Typhoon Molave, which is expected to bring torrential downpours and strong winds to parts of the South China Sea, Xinhua reports.

Molave, the 18th typhoon of the year, was observed some 750 km southeast of Yongxing Island, in south China's Hainan Province, at 5 p.m., packing a gale of 136.8 km per hour near its center, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The typhoon is moving westward at a speed of 25 km per hour and gradually strengthens, the center said, urging island residents and vessels to take shelter from the typhoon.

The center also said, due to a cold front, northern and northeastern parts of China will see temperatures fall by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius from Monday night to Tuesday night, accompanied by gusts.

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