BEIJING -- China's national observatory activated a yellow alert -- the third-highest level in its four-tier color-coded weather warning system -- for Typhoon Kajiki on Monday, forecasting gales and rainstorms in the nation's southern and southwestern regions through Tuesday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) reported that as of Monday morning, Typhoon Kajiki was positioned in the southern Beibu Gulf waters, moving west-northwest at 15-20 km/h with expected landfall in coastal Vietnam Monday night.

Due to its impact, from 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday, strong winds will affect the western part of the South China Sea and waters near Xisha Islands, Beibu Gulf and Qiongzhou Strait, as well as the coastal areas of Hainan, Guangxi and Guangdong.

During the same period, Yunnan, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, will experience heavy rains and rainstorms, according to the NMC.

The NMC urged local authorities to implement emergency preparedness measures for the typhoon, and potential flooding and geological disasters triggered by the heavy rainfall.