Beijing, Jul 25 (IANS): China's National Meteorological Centre (NMC) on Tuesday issued a yellow alert for Doksuri, the fifth typhoon of this year expected to bring gales and heavy rain to the country's southern coastal regions.

Doksuri, currently sweeping across the Pacific Ocean in the direction of the Philippines, has intensified into a super typhoon.

It is predicted to make landfall or pass very close to the Babuyan Islands in the Philippines between late Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

In its update, the NMC said the typhoon is expected to move northwest at a speed of around 20 km per hour.

It will enter the northeast part of the South China Sea on Thursday and then move toward the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong, the Centre said.

Some coastal areas around the Bashi Channel, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, as well as coastal regions of Taiwan and Fujian will experience gales, while parts of Taiwan will experience heavy downpours of 50 to 90 mm from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, it added.

The NMC has issued an advisory to suspend both indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as dangerous outdoor operations, and recommended the timely transfer of people living in vulnerable housing.

It has also called for emergency typhoon preparations and precautions against possible geological disasters.

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.