Beijing, Oct 4 : China's national observatory on Saturday issued an orange alert, the second-highest in its four-tier system, for Typhoon Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the year, as it strengthens and heads toward the country's southern coast.

The typhoon, observed at 18 degrees north latitude and 117.7 degrees east longitude at 5 a.m. on Saturday, is moving northwestward at a speed of 25-30 km per hour, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC).

It is anticipated to make landfall along coastal areas ranging from Dianbai in Guangdong Province to Wanning in Hainan Province, both located in south China, during the daytime on Sunday, the NMC said.

From Saturday morning to Sunday morning, the typhoon is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to China's southern coastal regions.

The national observatory has urged local authorities to activate emergency response measures for the typhoon and stay alert for mountain torrents and geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall, Xinhua news agency reported.

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

Earlier on October 3, China had activated a Level-IV emergency flood and typhoon response in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan as Typhoon Matmo -- the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season -- approaches, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters had called on local authorities to initiate emergency response measures, and to ensure the prevention and control of flooding and urban waterlogging, as well as the safety of visitors during the ongoing national holiday, the ministry said.

China's National Meteorological Centre had issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Matmo, which is expected to make landfall on the coast between Wanning in Hainan and Dianbai in Guangdong on Sunday.

Major flight routes, ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait and high-speed rail operations are likely to be affected from Saturday night through Sunday, with normal services expected to resume by Monday morning.

/IANS