Typhoon Rammasun, the first ultra strong typhoon noted by the national meteorological authority this year, is approaching southern China and expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon.

Rammasun, which will be the strongest typhoon to hit the southern part of the country since 1973, is moving northwest at a speed of 20 to 25 kilometers and is likely to become stronger, the National Meteorological Center said on Friday morning.

The typhoon, packing rainstorms and winds of up to 120 km per hour, will affect the Hainan province and coastal areas of Guangdong and Yunnan provinces, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Due to the typhoon's strong influence, inland provinces in southwestern areas such as Guizhou and Sichuan are also likely to be affected.

These areas are forecast to have torrential rain from Friday through Monday, with the heaviest rainfall expected to reach 600 millimeters. The heavy rainfall may trigger landslides in mountain areas.

In response, the center issued multiple warnings of flash floods and heavy rain on Friday, issuing a red alarm for the typhoon.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.