China's meteorological authority issued an alert on Thursday for the super typhoon nicknamed Songda as it moves near the country's southern coast, state-owned media Xinhua reported today.

Songda, the second typhoon this year, will cause high winds in the country's southern seas over the next 24 hours, said China's National Meteorological Center (NMC), which issued an orange alert for strong winds at 6 p.m, the report said.

The typhoon is expected to bring winds of 50 to 117 kilometers an hour in waters near Taiwan over the next 24 hours, as well as heavy rains in east Taiwan, the NMC said.

The NMC warns vessels to take shelter in ports and urges local authorities to prepare for emergencies as a result of strong winds and rainstorms.

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