Tropical storm "Lionrock" would bring gusty winds and heavy rainfalls to China's southern provinces as it moves north, the national meteorological agency warned on Sunday.

The storm which started Sunday morning in the South China Sea, was moving northeast at a speed of 5 to 10 kilometers per hour, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC) in a statement on its website.

Its center was located about 410 kilometers south of Shantou City, Guangdong Province, at 11:00 AM Sunday. The storm would get stronger as it moved towards the east coast of Guangdong and western Fujian Province, said local weather authorities of Fujian.

East Guangdong and the coastal region of Fujian would see strong winds in the next 24 hours with wind speeds up to 10.8 to 17.1 meters per second, said the center.

Showers and downpours are expected in these region in the next few days, according to local weather authorities of the two provinces.

The Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Bureau on Monday initiated a level-three emergency response plan, while its Fujian counterpart issued a level-four one, ordering local authorities to closely monitor the tropical storm's development and provide early warnings.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2010)