Provinces on the east China coast have been busy getting prepared as Lekima, the ninth typhoon of the year, is moving northwestwards toward the land.

Lekima is expected to make landfall in the coastal areas of Zhejiang Province from Friday night to Saturday morning, according to a source of the Ministry of Emergency Management Wednesday.

Lekima strengthened into a typhoon Wednesday morning and is projected to move in a northwestern direction with a rising intensity.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday issued a circular to seven provinces including Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Shanghai Municipality, asking related authorities to launch emergency response system in time, get well prepared before the landfall of the typhoon so as to reduce the damages.

The Ministry of Emergency Management also warned related departments to intensify real-time monitoring of weather changes and issue alerts promptly by means of the internet and text messaging.

Efforts should be made to strengthen evacuation and relocation in key areas, such as areas prone to flooding and geological disasters, old residential communities and tourist attractions, and reinforce structures such as billboards and tower cranes.

The ministry also called for enhanced inspection and maintenance of drainage systems and flood-control facilities in urban areas.