China warns of big waves, wind and rain as Typhoon Koinu approaches

SHANGHAI: China warned on Saturday of

big waves

, heavy rain and

strong wind

as Typhoon Koinu approaches the southern province of Guangdong and Hainan island.
Waves of up to nine metres were expected in the South China Sea under the impact of the storm on Saturday and Sunday, the

State Oceanic Administration

said as it issued an orange alert, the second highest in a four-coloured warning system.
Koinu, which means "puppy" in Japanese, is heading west along China's southern coast at a speed of 5-10 kph, the

National Meteorological Centre

.
It is expected to weaken into a strong tropical storm from late on Monday.

Koinu had killed one person and injured almost 400 people in Taiwan, causing some of the most extensive damage on remote Orchid Island off the island's east coast.