Guangdong provincial authorities have urged coastal cities and relevant departments to be on 24-hour alert as Typhoon Krosa approaches the southern province.

"Relevant departments should be on high alert as Krosa approaches, and be well prepared for possible natural disasters triggered by the typhoon," said a statement on the official website of the Guangdong provincial department of water resources on Thursday.

Krosa was about 780 km northeast of Manila, the Philippine capital, on Thursday and is gaining strength as it moves toward the coast of Guangdong at a speed of up to 30 kilometers per hour. It may make landfall in the province over the weekend.

Krosa, if it stays on its current course, would be the 29th tropical storm to hit the Chinese coast this year.