BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Wednesday continued to issue a blue alert for Typhoon Khanun, the sixth typhoon of this year, which is expected to bring a new spell of rainfall to the country's northeastern provinces.

Due to the typhoon, heavy rains are expected to lash Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces beginning Thursday, with some areas likely to be hit by rainstorms, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Typhoon Khanun is moving northwestward at a speed of 15 km per hour and is expected to make landfall on the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday morning, according to the NMC.

Rainstorms are also expected to hit some regions south of the Yangtze River as well as parts of South China and Yunnan province in the coming three days, the NMC said.

The center urged local authorities to prepare for typhoon emergency response and remain on high alert against possible floods and geological disasters.