Fishing boats return to harbor in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province on Oct 4, 2013 as Typhoon Fitow is set to hit the country's southeast coastlines late Sunday. [Photo/icpress.cn]

BEIJING - China's maritime authorities on Saturday issued an orange alert, the second highest level for a wave warning, as Typhoon Fitow approached land.

Fitow, the 23rd of the year, is expected to reach the southeastern part of the East China Sea on Saturday afternoon or night, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center said.

The typhoon will bring waves as high as 12 meters in the south East China Sea and waters around the Diaoyu Islands from Saturday noon to Sunday midday, with waves of up to five meters in the north of the East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait, according to the center.

The center also warned of storm tides, with water levels expected to increase by as much as 90 centimeters in coastal areas of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces from Saturday night to Sunday noon.

The center urged ships to be cautious. It also advised coastal authorities to take precautionary measures, carry out patrols and make sure dikes and fishery facilities are secure.

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