Typhoon, cold front to bring wet, windy weather

Over the next three days, Typhoon Fengshen will affect the central and northern South China Sea as well as southern coastal areas of China, the National Meteorological Center said on Monday, warning of potential damage from strong winds and secondary disasters caused by heavy rainfall.

The center issued a blue alert for Fengshen on Monday morning as the 24th typhoon of 2025 continued to strengthen over the South China Sea. As of 9 am, the storm's center was located about 455 kilometers northeast of Sansha city, Hainan province.

Fengshen is currently classified as a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 82.8 kilometers per hour. Its wind field extends 220 to 280 km from the center. The storm is expected to move northwest at a speed of 20 to 25 km/h, gradually intensifying into a severe tropical storm or even a typhoon, with wind speeds reaching 108 to 126 km/h.

By Tuesday, Fengshen is forecast to turn southwestward due to a cold front, heading toward the central coast of Vietnam and weakening as it approaches.

The typhoon will bring heavy rain and strong winds to eastern and northern Taiwan, the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, and the northern part of the South China Sea. From 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday, northern Taiwan is expected to experience heavy to torrential rain, with some areas receiving 100 to 200 millimeters of rainfall.

Meanwhile, a cold front will continue to affect central and eastern China, causing temperatures to drop by 4 to 6 C in these regions, as well as parts of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Some areas may see a temperature drop of up to 8 C, with the "0 C line" pushing southward to central North China.

The center said due to the combined effects of the cold front and Fengshen, the southern East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the northern South China Sea and coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces are forecast to experience winds of up to 117.4 km/h, with gusts of up to 149 km/h, from 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday. It also issued a yellow alert for strong winds.

From Oct 19 to 28, heavy rainfall is expected across several regions. Some areas — including parts of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, as well as Taiwan and the Xizang autonomous region — may receive 80 to 150 mm of rain, with eastern Hainan and northern Taiwan exceeding 250 mm.

Rainfall in these areas is expected to be 50 percent to 80 percent above the average for this time of year, according to the center.

Most of central and eastern China will experience average temperatures 1 to 3 C below the seasonal norm over the next 10 days. In contrast, temperatures in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will be 1 to 3 C above average.

The center warned that widespread frost is expected, potentially affecting crop storage and agricultural facilities. Starting Tuesday, the prolonged rainy period in the Huanghuai region will end, aiding autumn harvests, soil drying, and the planting of winter wheat and rapeseed, it added.