BEIJING - Typhoon Bopha, the 24th typhoon of the year, is approaching China's southeastern coast, with gales expected for Taiwan and the South China Sea over the next three days, the country's top meteorological authority said Thursday.

Bopha, with central winds of 120 km per hour and gusts of up to 150 km per hour, battered the Philippines Wednesday, killing more than 280 people.

Jointly influenced by the typhoon and a cold front moving south, there will be strong winds ranging from 41 to 62 km per hour in the southeastern, central and northern parts of the South China Sea over the next three days, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement on its website.

Central winds could reach 104 to 180 km per hour in the waters, according to the statement.

Meteorological experts urged ships in affected regions to return to harbor, as well as asked local departments to take precautions against high winds.