BEIJING, July 25 -- China's national observatory on Tuesday issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Doksuri, as the fifth typhoon of this year is expected to bring gales and heavy rain to the country's southern coastal regions.

The typhoon, observed over waters east of the island of Luzon, the Philippines at 5 a.m. Tuesday, is expected to move northwest at a speed of around 20 km per hour, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.

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 center said.

Some coastal areas around the Bashi Channel, the South China Sea, the 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, according to the center.

The meteorological center 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, color-coded weather warning system for typhoons, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.