China ups warnings as Typhoon Fitow nears

BEIJING - China's maritime authorities on Sunday issued red alerts, the highest warning, for storm tides and waves as Typhoon Fitow approached land.

Fitow, the 23rd typhoon to hit China this year, is forecast to make landfall between east China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces on Monday morning, said the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center.

A red alert for storm tides comes as water levels on the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang are expected to increase by 2 meters.

The typhoon will raise waves as high as 10 meters in the south of the East China Sea and waters around the Diaoyu Island.

The forecasting center urged fishermen to return to port. Local authorities were asked to reinforce harbor facilities and repair sea walls to prepare for the tides.

Tourist sites by the sea will be closed and tourists are banned from the coast in some areas.

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