China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has issued a red alert for ocean waves in sea areas off the coast of southern Guangdong Province as Typhoon Hato approaches, with more than 4,000 people already evacuated.

Hato, the 13th typhoon to hit China this year, is likely to make landfall on the coast of Guangdong on Wednesday morning. The typhoon has been moving westward at a speed of 20 kph since Tuesday morning, according to local meteorological authorities, according to a statement quoted by state news agency, Xinhua.

The SOA also issued an orange alert for storm tides and estimated that the sea levels off Guangdong and neighboring Fujian Province will rise by up to 180 centimeters.

In China's four-tier severe weather warning system, red is the most serious alert, followed by orange, yellow and blue.