HAIKOU, Sept. 18 -- South China's coastal provinces of Hainan and Guangdong on Thursday moved in lockstep to activate their Level-IV typhoon emergency response measures, as the year's 17th typhoon approached.

Typhoon Mitag, currently a tropical storm, was located approximately 340 kilometers southeast of Shanwei City, Guangdong Province, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 18 meters per second at its center, according to the National Meteorological Center.

As its strength increases, Mitag is moving northwestward at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.

It is forecast to make landfall along the Guangdong coast between Huilai County and Taishan City from noon to night on Friday, likely as either a tropical storm or a severe tropical storm -- bringing torrential rains to Guangdong on Friday and Saturday before weakening and continuing northwestward.

The Guangdong flood control headquarters has ordered all local authorities to closely monitor the typhoon and implement emergency response measures to ensure public safety and safeguard property.

In Hainan, the typhoon emergency response applies only to marine operations -- as strong gales are forecast from Thursday afternoon through Friday. The province's flood control headquarters has urged offshore operation platforms and vessels in the northeastern South China Sea to monitor the typhoon closely and take precautionary measures.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I representing the highest severity.