BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Saturday activated a red alert -- the highest level in the country's typhoon warning system -- as Typhoon Noul approaches.

Typhoon Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year, is forecast to make landfall along the coast of south China's Guangdong Province, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

As of 10:00 p.m. Saturday, the typhoon's center was about 100 km offshore southeast of Huidong County in Huizhou City, Guangdong, with maximum winds near the center reaching Force 14, the NMC said.

The NMC forecast that Typhoon Noul will move northwestward at around 20 km per hour, while continuing to strengthen. After making landfall, it is expected to shift to a north-northwestward course and gradually weaken.

Earlier the same day, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters raised its emergency response for flood and typhoon control in Guangdong Province to Level III, while activating a Level IV flood emergency response for Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.

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