Update | Southeastern provinces evacuate coastal areas ahead of Fitow's fury

Southeastern coastal areas were bracing for Typhoon Fitow yesterday, as the rare late-season typhoon was expected to make landfall overnight between Fujian and Zhejiang.

The National Meteorological Centre had issued a red alert - the highest level in its four-tier warning system - and urged local authorities and residents to take precautionary measures as soon as possible.

Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai had reportedly removed "golden week" tourists from offshore islands. Fujian authorities had evacuated about 96,000 people from low-lying areas.

Fitow, classified as a "strong" typhoon, was expected to dump up to 500mm of rain and lash coastal communities with gusts of up to 180km/h, meteorological authorities said. A storm surge of up to two metres was predicted for the coast. The typhoon was forecast to make landfall near the border between Fujian and Zhejiang, but its movement was difficult to predict due to the influence of Typhoon Danas, which formed to the east of Fitow and was forecast to hit Okinawa and pass between Japan and Korea.

Typhoons rarely make landfall north of Fuzhou in October. Fitow would be only the third since 1949 to do so, after typhoons Krosa in 2007 and Tilda in 1961.

Water Resources Minister Chen Lei , who is also deputy director of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief, said state leaders were very concerned about the strength of the storm.

"[It's] landfall is expected to coincide with an astronomical high tide, and then … the worst situation may occur with wild winds and high water," Chen said in a speech posted on the ministry's website. "The affected regions are the most developed areas in eastern China, especially Shanghai, Hangzhou , Ningbo and Wenzhou . It is the peak of tourism during the national holiday," Chen said. "Evacuation for tourists is difficult and huge casualties could easily occur. The situation is very grim."