BEIJING, Aug. 30 -- China's national observatory on Wednesday renewed an orange alert for Typhoon Saola, which is expected to bring gales and heavy rains to the country's southern coastal regions.

Typhoon Saola, the ninth typhoon of this year, is moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour, and is expected to move into the northeastern waters of the South China Sea on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

It is likely to make landfall somewhere on the coast within an area stretching from eastern Guangdong to southern Fujian during daytime on Friday, or it may move southwestward from the east coast of Guangdong, the NMC said.

Strong winds and heavy rainstorms will hit areas to the east of China's Taiwan island, northeast parts of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait from Wednesday to Saturday. Heavy rain will lash parts of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi. Some areas are likely to experience rainstorms, the NMC said.

The China Meteorological Administration activated a Level-II emergency response on Wednesday.

Experts suggested people in the aforementioned areas should prepare for potential emergencies caused by the typhoon, and warned cruise ships and fishing boats in the affected waters to return to port for shelter.