FUZHOU — East China's Fujian province on Aug 2 launched a Grade III emergency response to Typhoon Hagupit, the fourth of this year.

Authorities in Fujian have asked staff of coastal fisheries in the city of Ningde to be evacuated ashore prior to 8 am on Aug 3.

Coastal tourist spots in Ningde were required to be closed and construction sites were asked to suspend operations.

The center of Hagupit was spotted at waters 540 km southeast of Cangnan county, East China's Zhejiang province, at 11 pm on Aug 2, packing winds of up to 83 kph, according to the National Meteorological Center.

It is moving northwest at a speed of 20 kph and will continue to gain strength, according to the center. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in the coastal area between Zhejiang and Fujian on the night of Aug 3.