BEIJING -- Typhoon Nesat, the ninth typhoon of the year, will hit South China Saturday, bringing some relief from the sweltering heat in the region, the country's national observatory said Friday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a yellow alert for typhoon Nesat on Friday morning, saying that most parts of southeast China will see rain from Saturday to Tuesday with downpours in some areas.

Rain is expected to bring some relief to central and eastern regions, which have seen sweltering heat since June 26, said the national observatory.

The NMC renewed an orange alert on Friday for high temperatures in?South China and predicted temperatures to decline starting Sunday

Meteorologists suggested local governments in the provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Jiangxi take precautions against possible geological disasters, and recommended ships in affected areas return to ports.

The public was reminded to pay attention to weather changes and take precautions during the summer travel peak.

Heat waves have hit most of the country's southeast over the past month. The eastern metropolis of Shanghai, for example, recorded a temperature of 40.9 C on July 21, the highest on record in the city in 145 years.

The extreme hot weather has increased the number of people suffering from sunstroke. The city government has suspended most outdoor work and warned the elderly and children to avoid outdoor activities between 10 am and 4 pm.

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