BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — More typhoons have been forecast over autumn due to the La Nina phenomenon, which will bring storms on land and sea, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC) announced Thursday.

Five or six typhoons are expected to hit China next month, more than in previous years. Three or four will affect coastal areas.

Affected by global warming and La Nina, China's coastal sea level is higher than the same period in recent years.

The NMEFC called on coastal departments to follow forecasts and be prepared for ocean disasters.

La Nina is an ocean atmosphere phenomenon characterized by low sea temperatures across the equatorial eastern central Pacific. It often occurs after a strong El Nino event.