Super-typhoon Jelawat approaches southeast China

Jelawat, the 17th super-typhoon of the year, is approaching China's east coastal regions, bringing rain and gales to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, the country's top meteorological authority said on Wednesday.

The eye of Jelawat was located at 770 km southeast of Taiwan's Cape Eluanbi early on Wednesday, and will move northwestward at 15 km per hour, according to a statement on the website of the National Meteorological Center.

Strong winds will batter Taiwan and its surrounding waters as well as coastal parts of Fujian Province over the next 24 hours, the statement said.

The center also forecast that sunshine will give way to downpours in the country's northern regions on Thursday. Northeast China and parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region should brace for moderate to heavy rain, and some areas may even receive rainstorms.