BEIJING, Sept. 8 -- The Ministry of Transport on Monday activated a Level-IV emergency response to Typhoon Tapah and a Level-III response to the heavy rains it caused.

Tapah, the 16th typhoon of the year, made landfall on Monday morning along the coast of Taishan City, south China's Guangdong Province, packing gale-force winds and torrential rain across Guangdong and Guangxi. Downpours also pounded parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan.

The ministry urged authorities in the affected regions to treat the typhoon's impact with the utmost seriousness and to make meticulous arrangements to keep vessels safely anchored and ensure both personnel and equipment are fully protected.

The ministry also issued a travel-safety notice, urging travelers on mountain roads to watch closely for signs of landslides or falling rocks whenever heavy rain occurs and to move swiftly out of harm's way at the first sign of danger.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.