China upgrades alert against Typhoon Haiyan

An uprooted tree hits a car on the road due to strong wind caused by Typhoon Haiyan, which approaches Sanya city, south China's Hainan province, Nov. 10, 2013. Haiyan, the 30th and strongest typhoon to hit China this year, is bringing downpours and strong wind to Hainan. As of 3:00 p.m. Sunday, Haiyan had also delayed 187 flights at Sanya Phoenix Airport. (Xinhua/Yuan Yongdong)

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Sunday raised the warning for Typhoon Haiyan to red, the highest level on its four-color typhoon warning system.

Haiyan, the strongest typhoon in the world so far this year, is moving northwestward after having wreaked havoc in the Philippines, according to the NMC.

The center said the force of Haiyan is weakening. It is moving at 25-30 km per hour and is expected to land in coastal areas between northern Vietnam and the China-Vietnam border on Monday morning or at noon.

Then it will head eastward and influence Chinese provinces of Hainan and Guangdong as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Haiyan will bring strong winds and torrential rain to China's southern and southwestern regions, according to the NMC.

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