China launches emergency response for Usagi

An emergency response was issued on Wednesday for tropical storm Usagi, which may become one of the strongest typhoons to hit China's southeastern coastal regions in the next few days.

A fourth-level emergency response, the lowest level, was announced by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The authority said Usagi would hit the coast near Guangdong Province on Sunday, with the wind speed at its center reaching 150 kilometers (km) per hour.

It warned local authorities to closely monitor the typhoon, forecast its movement in a timely manner and ensure the safety of people in regions that will be affected.

The National Meteorological Center said in a statement that Usagi's center was at about 1,000 km southeast of Taiwan at 8 p.m. Beijing time and was moving northwestward at a speed of around 15 km per hour with strengthening force.

Usagi is the 19th tropical storm of the year to hit China.