China alert against typhoon Matmo

Fishing boats take shelter at the Jinqing Fishing Port to avoid Typhoon Matmo in Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 22, 2014. Typhoon Matmo, the 10th typhoon to affect China this year, was approaching China's southeast coast on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Tao Wenbiao)

China's National Disaster Reduction Commission and Ministry of Civil Affairs on Tuesday called on local authorities to prepare for the arrival of typhoon Matmo.

The typhoon, which was 570 km south-southeast of Taiwan's Taipei City early on Tuesday, is expected to continue strengthening as it moves north-northwest at a speed of 25 km per hour.

It is likely to hit eastern Taiwan on Tuesday evening, packing rainstorms and winds of up to 180 km per hour, according to meteorological information.

The mainland's Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces will also witness rainstorms with precipitation as high as 300 mm.

The central authorities urged local civil affairs departments to keep a close eye on Matmo's route, intensify monitoring, issue early alerts and help the relocation of people in the typhoon's path.