FUZHOU - More than 1,800 local ships have returned harbor as Typhoon Nanmadol moves northwestward towards Fujian province.

Maritime affairs bureaus of Fuzhou, Putian, Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou on Monday jointly activated the red warning, the highest level, to recall all ships to harbor, said authorities with the Fujian provincial maritime department.

The Fujian provincial maritime affairs department has already strengthened the offshore patrol and inspection to safeguard the safety of the ships.

Four rescue ships, three rescue jets and 65 tug boats have been put on emergency standby.

The Fujian observatory said that Nanmadol was most likely to make landfall over the southern part of Fujian, bringing gales and rainstorms.

The observatory forecast that the typhoon would coincide with an astronomical tide on Monday, and waves are expected to reach 2 to 3.5 meters high in Fujian's coastal areas.

It also warned the the local governments as the typhoon could lead to potential torrential floods and landslides in some regions.