Super Typhoon Bavi is forecast to batter southeastern China over the weekend, bringing torrential rain to parts of eastern, central and northern China from Thursday, according to Chinese meteorologists.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Bavi was moving west-northwest at about 15 to 20 kilometers per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of up to 216 km/h, the National Meteorological Center said.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall around Saturday evening or Sunday along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

From Thursday through July 15, Bavi is expected to bring heavy rain to parts of eastern, central and northern China.

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Some areas in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Hubei province and the coastal regions of Zhejiang and Fujian are forecast to receive 300 to 500 millimeters of rainfall.

"Some regions will see precipitation 40 to 80 percent above the average for the same period, while a few areas could receive more than double their normal rainfall," the center said on Wednesday.

Xiang Chunyi, the center's chief forecaster, attributed Bavi's intensity to a combination of favorable conditions, including high sea surface temperatures along its path that have provided abundant thermal energy, a steady moisture supply feeding the storm's core and a stable inner core structure.

Bavi's strength is estimated to be comparable to that of Typhoon Lekima, which made landfall in Zhejiang and Shandong in 2019 and dumped up to 600 mm of accumulated rainfall in some areas.

Xiang said that after making landfall, Bavi is expected to move deep inland, bringing extensive and prolonged rainfall to a broad swath of provinces, including Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Anhui, Henan and Shandong.

The meteorological center has urged fishing vessels to return to port and offshore workers on wind farms and oil platforms to evacuate promptly.

Coastal tourist destinations, particularly those on islands and along the shoreline, should remain on high alert and suspend operations if necessary.

Local governments in coastal areas have been advised to reinforce tall trees, temporary structures and high-rise buildings against strong winds.

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The public is urged to closely monitor weather forecasts and short-term nowcasts, avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from tall buildings to reduce the risk of falling objects, and prepare emergency supplies if needed.

Huang Meijin, chief forecaster at the Fujian Provincial Meteorological Bureau, warned that Bavi would also bring destructive winds over both land and sea, urging authorities to guard against damage to onshore infrastructure.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop on Friday, intensify on Saturday and gradually weaken on Sunday.

In Zhejiang, water resources authorities have activated a Level IV emergency response for flood and typhoon preparedness under China's four-tier emergency response system — with Level I as the highest — while maritime safety authorities have launched a Level III emergency response.

Contact the writers at wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn